I want us to focus on a piece of James four that says this: “He yearns jealously over the spirit He has made to dwell in us.” We know there is a strong union between the Lord who lives in us by the Spirit of God and the Lord who died for us on the cross. These two persons of the Spirit are bound up together in God in the Trinity. They were before the beginning of creation, mapping out the story we are now living. They were together as the wind, waves and land began to take shape and as man and woman were first formed and breathed. The Father willing these things to be, Jesus doing the shaping work in creation and the Spirit bringing the life. They were together in Noah’s flood. God judging the peoples of the earth, Jesus causing the deeps to open and flood the earth, and the Spirit saving all those on the ark. They were together in the days of Abraham. God outlining the story from the vision covering all the people on earth to the instructions to sacrifice Isaac. Jesus meeting with Abraham and Sarah, ratifying the covenant and accepting the sacrifice in the valley of Salem. And the Spirit writing on their minds and hearts the desires of the Father and making them aware of the strength of the Son. And on and on the story moves. Each piece tying together the one before it and the one after it, making one, complete, unified whole. It is no surprise when we hear James say “God yearns jealously over the Spirit He has made to dwell in us.” It has always been so! 

Are you aware of the strong desire God has for the Spirit He has made to dwell in you? When you read the Word, what does it say to you? When you pray, whose voice or what answers do you hear? When you worship, are you aware of the awesomeness and majesty of the One to whom you are singing? When you are in tight situations, do you know the strength of God? When you lack wisdom, are you aware of the way God gives it? When you use your spiritual gift, do you recognize the ability that is supernaturally yours? All of these are ways we see the Spirit of God testifying to God through us. All of these are ways we hear the Father speaking to us by way of the Spirit in us. None of them can be manufactured apart from the Spirit. Fakes are cheap and easily recognized. They don’t last. They wear out and come up empty. But the Spirit of God is always right on time! 

I would ask you to seek the Lord this week, specifically, seek the Spirit He has made to dwell in you. Ask Him to fill and rejuvenate you. Ask Him to make you aware of His presence and work. Ask Him to teach you the behind the scenes work He is always doing and how He wants you to be a part. Ask Him to help you wait on His moving, His gentle voice and His easy urgings. God yearns jealously over His Spirit because they are a part of each other. They cannot be separated. You cannot get to know one without automatically hearing of the other. 

Are you desperate in your prayers? Are your prayer times pregnant with the expectation of what God would do? That is the work of the Spirit in you. Don’t be afraid! Trust the One who made you to lead you to Himself. Give Him the freedom to use you to bring Him glory. Rest in the strength of His promises found in His Word. If God didn’t love you, He wouldn’t give you His Spirit. Trust Him to do what only He does best: Give Life.