The Wind

In John 3:8, Jesus tells Nicodemus, "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."


I can feel the wind, see the effects of it blowing the trees, but I can't see it or control it.  There's a divine dimension that pervades my life. I can't see You, I can't control You, but that doesn't mean You're not here, loving me.


John 3:8 focuses on that familiar biblical theme: All our striving, all this trying so hard, is misguided. We're supposed to let You carry our burdens. Trust You, and let You change us.

"The Holy Spirit is irresistible and infallibly effective in his regenerating work," says the Desiring God bible commentary. "Which doesn’t mean that we don’t resist him. We do. But God can overcome the rebellion and resistance of our wills. He can make Christ look so compelling that our resistance is broken and we freely come to him and believe him."

In her book, Stepping Heavenward, Elizabeth Prentiss talks about the fact that even our sanctification is Christ's job to do. This was more or less new to me. It seems to contradict that Phillippians passage about working out your salvation with fear and trembling. But I'm learning more and more about this...