John 16:13, “When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
I have been contemplating and thinking more and more about “the things that are to come.” At the beginning of 2023, I bravely chose “Perseverance/Endurance” for my word or words of the year. Little did I know the lessons to be learned that were ahead during 2023 and now will continue into 2024. Jesus addressed John 16:13 to the disciples, but this verse also has a broader encompassing application to us as believers. The Holy Spirit leads and guides us because we are sons and daughters of God, as Romans 8:14 states. But we must actively ask and seek His guidance as we endure and persevere in not giving up when walking through challenging and confusing situations. It puts me in a standby mode until He tells my spirit what He wants me to say and do. Unfortunately, I don’t always wait for His answer and plow ahead, which has sometimes gotten me into trouble. How about you? Maybe that is the lesson He wanted me to learn all along.
Picture yourself in a setting with God sitting with you somewhere for an intimate one-on-one conversation to review what the Holy Spirit taught you over 2023. Where would you choose to have this meeting? Would it be in a coffee shop? Would it be in your kitchen or living room? In Southern California, one might choose their patio. Would you make coffee, tea, or hot chocolate to have together? What verse or verses helped sustain you and get you to what you needed to know and do that you would show Him and ask Him to tell you more? One verse I wrote in my journal back in September, of 2021 was Hebrews 10:35-36, “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” These verses just spoke to me again right now with a specific need I have going on. There is that word endurance again! When you are in a waiting mode, the word is one – standby. When you refer to an action it is two words – stand by.
Think of an hourglass. I have one on a shelf in my office and another on the mantel in our living room. It is a symbol of the passage of time. As I turn it upside down and watch the sand move slowly from the top to the bottom, it reminds me I am simply at a point in time. I am in a standby mode. God has His hands on the clock. He is always present with me. He knows my name (Isaiah 43:1) and goes before me (Deuteronomy 31:8). He understands my frustrations because He has compassion (Psalm 103:13), and that is what I need right now. The Holy Spirit will disclose to me what is to come. He will make sense of what is about to happen.
One quote that I found in my journal perhaps someone else reading this may need as I did when I wrote it down a couple of years ago: “Larry Osborne – A Contrarian’s Guide to Knowing God. “My success or my failure – results don’t matter. They don’t measure my relationship with God. Doesn’t show if I am on the right path or not. Doing the right things and obeying God’s commands does.” Are you wondering about an outcome in your life? Stand by – the Holy Spirit will tell you when the time is right and declare to you the things that are to come. What did He tell or do for you before? He will do it again. Standby – be ready and waiting. The Holy Spirit will guide you, and make it known to you as John 16:14 further declares, “He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” You may feel like a misfit. But keep your mind on Christ and His coming return – stand by.
Listen to MercyMe, Phil Wickham – Then Christ Came (Lyrics Video).