88 GOOD MORNING, HOLY SPIRIT
options. Either I could follow the sound of a carnal, fleshly
world, or I could follow Him: "Those who live according to
the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those
who live according to the Spirit, the things of the
Spirit" (Rom. 8:5).
It's as basic as life itself. If you desire the flesh, you will
follow the flesh; but if your heart yearns for the Spirit,
you'll be drawn to Him like a magnet. It starts with desire.
For me, I had one great question: "How can I really know
You?" That question was the cry of my heart. My great
hunger was to know the Holy Spirit personally. I was not
disappointed.
Paul tells you to "walk in the Spirit, and you shall not
fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are
contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things
that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not
under the law" (Gal. 5:16-18).
An amazing thing happened to the apostle Paul and his
companions during their missionary travels. They went to
Phrygia and Galatia, having been "forbidden by the Holy
Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to
Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not
permit them" (Acts 16:6-7). That's right. They were so in
tune with the voice of the Spirit they probably said, "Well,
if He's not going, we're not going either."
But perhaps the most revealing words in the account
were that they were kept "by the Holy Spirit." When Christ
returned to the Father, the Holy Spirit began to do the work
of Christ on earth.
Have you begun to recognize His voice? Paul did.
During that same journey the Spirit, through a vision,
showed the apostle a man from a far country standing and