W. McDOWELL - WITHHOLDING NOTHING
If we’re brutally honest with ourselves, we’ve all at one time or another grieved the Personhood of Him the Holy Spirit. It’s one thing to believe the Spirit of God lives on the inside of us, but quite another apart from surrender to trust Him with the deep seeded issues of our lives. Our granddaughter’s been kidnapped and suddenly I was thrust into an unfamiliar place of helplessness. Unable to breath or navigate the portals of understanding, I found myself trapped between trust and revenge, hatred and mercy while simultaneously looking for an answer from God! As the voice of those describing the complexities surrounding her abduction began to fade away I found myself acutely aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence beckoning me towards an intimate encounter with him. I wanted answers but God wanted trust. I wanted explicit details but God wanted surrender. I wanted the abductors head on a platter but God wanted me to want Him beyond the circumstances. I wanted to die but God knew the only way I’d live through it would be in withholding nothing from Him!
Whether you’ve experienced an abduction of your emotions, finances, business, marriage or severance from a family member, know that victory lies within our desiring the presence of God more than the answer. The indelible mark of surrender and withholding nothing from God not only taught me how to unapologetically trust the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, but how to entrust the distrust of my past to the loving care of my Heavenly Father! What happened to our granddaughter you ask? Well, in the exactness of God’s timing, the wailing of our hearts ceased to exist upon the safe return of our granddaughter. In fighting back tears of joy, I realized the purest form of thanksgiving is best expressed when withholding nothing is not an option!
Now ruminate on that for a minute . . . . .