The Spirit Tells What is to Come
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
John 16:13
What does it mean that the Spirit will tell us what is yet to come? The above verse tells us that the Spirit will not speak on his own, but speaks only what hears, hears from Christ. Christ knows the past , present, and future, and he can guide us to avoid bad choices. But does this tell us what is yet to come?
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25) If the Spirit tells us what is to come, then we must be able to keep in step with the Spirit. Conscience and reason must become sensitive to the Spirit and to the Word of God. Now a sensitive Godly conscience will know when we are leaning to a choice that is not pleasing to God. But exactly how does the Spirit tell what is to come?
If we live in the Spirit we are still inside and listening to the Lord’s soft quiet voice. If our minds are running rapid on the world’s tasks, wrapped up in our own thoughts, then it will be virtually impossible to hear the Spirit. We must train ourselves to be closer to the Spirit within us than to anything outside of us. Now that we are in tune to hear the Spirit, our emotions are settled and relaxed and we are able to make wise choices instead of emotional choices. We have allowed time to seek Godly wisdom and understanding, and it’s through this time communing with God about our choices that he may reveal the consequences. Sometimes the outcome is obvious if we take an honest look at our choices, other times we are guided through prayer to see the outcome, and other times we simply step out on faith. We seek to know what is to come from Godly wisdom and prayer.
Make me know your ways, O Lord; Teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, For you are the God of my salvation; For you I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5) We ask the Lord to lead us and to reveal the consequences of our choices. We know that if we obey the Lord’s commands the outcome will always be for our good. What we really need to know is what the outcome will be when we make wrong choices that stem from our own desires. If we make choices driven by emotion, then we can see the immediate result with little or no thought on what is yet to come. However, when we seek Godly wisdom through the Spirit, God will give insight of the decision’s possible outcomes.
Today take the time to seek Godly wisdom with your thoughts, your words, and your actions. If you are quick to listen and slow to speak, it will give you the time to seek Godly wisdom, which will reveal the possible outcomes. Seek to let your thoughts, word, and actions to be Christ-like, because you are a light for Christ.
Let’s Pray: Lord, help me to seek Godly wisdom with my thoughts, words, and actions, and not to be driven strictly by my emotions. Guide me in the Spirit and slow me down inside with patience. Whenever I am rushed, let the Spirit slow me down and give me peace, so that I may know that the outcome of my words and actions will be in accordance with your will. In Jesus name, Amen.