The other day at our church ladies’ breakfast, one of the women had a locket around her neck. ‘Does it open? And does it have a photograph inside?’ I asked. She admitted it didn’t.
I have a large silver locket my mother bought for me many years ago. Inside it for years were two photos of Mick and me when we were both about eighteen and ‘going steady.’
Then one day I decided the engraved silver was tarnished and needed a clean, so I left the locket closed, got the silver cleaner out and cleaned the outside. I never thought to take the photos out. After all, I was only cleaning the outside.
Sadly the silver cleaner seeped inside the clasp, obliterating the photos. And yet today, many years later, when I open the locket which has never had another replacement photos put in it, there is still the faintest trace of the outline of our faces. I can’t bear to cover up that image with another image.
Someone once suggested it’s my imagination playing tricks on me. I don’t believe it is. I believe the imprint of those photos is still there. I can see them even if others can’t.
Sadly people often have a similar view about The Holy Spirit. Because they can’t see Him in a visible way they assume He doesn’t exist. But we have the foundation of God’s Word on which to rest our faith. Jesus promised to send another Counselor to help us live each day, John 14:16. He promised the disciples that the Spirit would help them remember what He had taught them and help them know what to say when it was needed, John 14:26. I can also testify that the Spirit provided what was needed for me with my talk last Saturday.
Simply because we don’t always see visible signs like tongues of fire or other dramatic gifts doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit is not within us and not at work. Jesus said we can’t see the wind but we can see the evidence of where it has been, John 3:8. We see the trees sway and leaves shudder and fall in autumn. We see the evidence of the wind though we don’t see the wind. We see where the wind has been.
Last week there was a red dust storm in our area. Cars out in it were stained red. The evidence of the wind was easy to spot.
Sometimes it is not as visible but we should be able to see some evidence of the Spirit at work in our lives and those lives of others who profess to love Jesus. What evidence are you seeing of the Holy Spirit in your life?
Bible verses from The New American Standard Version
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