We need to listen to and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit in order to walk according to the Spirit and in the blessing of the Father. We will many times not follow His voice because we are afraid to die to the flesh and to the old ways. The Holy Spirit did not come to earth for His own benefit or to fulfill His own desire. He came because Jesus sent Him, and to be our guide, teacher and comfort.
When we are led by the Spirit, we don’t always do what we want to do. We also don’t always do the things that seem right. For example, He forbade Paul from preaching the gospel in Asia, despite Paul’s desire to do so. The Spirit had a different plan, instead sending Paul to Europe. Doing even what we think is the right thing without being led by the Spirit will lead to discouragement – following the leading of the Spirit will keep us from being discouraged or worn out.
When we walk according to the Spirit, the supernatural becomes natural for us. Listening to the voice of the Spirit becomes a normal occurrence for us, and provision will be made for us.
When the Spirit leads us to a place of promise, stay there until the promise comes to pass – even if it takes a while. When we obey, we will reap the blessings of God – just as Isaac was able to reap a hundredfold return while sowing during a famine.
Key Scriptures: John 14:16, Ephesians 4:30, Acts 16:6, Galatians 3:14, Genesis 26
