Hello Reader,

Thanks for reading. Here is a new inspirational teaching for June!

She Knew She Was Supposed To Walk

My niece has a set of twins who are at that age where their whole little world shifts by the day. They pull up on furniture and test their legs against gravity.

One of them stands at the coffee table for a moment, wobbles with pride, and sits right back down again.

Her sister, from the floor pushed up onto her hands. With her hips in the air and legs tucked underneath her she stopped.

She knew something more was supposed to happen. She could feel it. But she hadn't found a way to lift up her hands, stand, and trust her legs.

And I thought, that is like so many of us trying to walk by the Spirit.

The Gap Between The Physical And The Spirit

In the physical world, sons and daughters grow up. They learn to walk, run, and test their strength against the world.

But in the spiritual realm, many of us have stayed little.

We accepted salvation, yes, and we may go to church, read our Bibles, and pray. Yet, we were meant for more!

We have the capacity for a life of deep intimate communion with God.

We are royal children meant to rule and reign with our Father.

We have the capacity to live like Jesus on earth today and do exploits for His Kingdom!

The problem is maybe some of us haven't learned to walk, run, or operate from this realm yet.

Galatians 5:25 says it plainly:

We live by the Spirit the moment we are born again. That part is settled.

But walking by the Spirit is something we learn, the same way my little grand-niece on the floor is learning to trust her legs beneath her.

The Key to Spiritual Growth

Romans 8:14 shows us what walking in the Spirit looks like:

That phrase are being led holds the key.

In the Greek, the verb carries the meaning of continual, sustained action. It means we cultivate a lifestyle, a posture, of ongoing surrender to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

The key to spiritual growth is to be led by the Spirit continually, the way a child learns to walk by staying close to the one who steadies her.

And the beautiful thing is that God designed it this way.

Jesus called the Holy Spirit our Helper and Teacher.

He sent the Spirit to guide us into all truth, to remind us of His words, to form us from the inside out.

This is how we grow. The Spirit leads, and we learn and grow.

Three Marks of a Spirit-Led Life

So, what does that look like?

1. Willingness. It starts with surrender. We have to want His guidance more than we want our own way. Some of us (not me, of course) can be stubborn.

We get an idea fixed in our heads and refuse to look at it from another angle. The Holy Spirit is gentle and waits for an invitation.

2. Sensitivity. Even when we believe we are willing, our awareness can grow dull. We become too busy and the noise of life can fill the empty spaces until our hearing is dull.

We learn to practice by asking and listening with an open heart.

3. Ongoing Relationship. Underneath both a willingness and sensitivity is the thing that makes them possible: daily communion with the Spirit.

Our Lord leads us the way a Father leads His children, close enough to steady us when we stumble.

God wants sons and daughters who know Him, hear Him, and walk with Him. He wants us to draw close to Him.

The Access Point

Second Peter 1:3 says,

Everything we need is already given. The access point is knowing Him.

And we continue to know Him better by our daily conversations with Him.

Action Steps: One Step This Week to Walk in the Spirit

• Set aside at least 5 quiet minutes this week. Just five. Sit with your Lord. It could be in the garage, in the tub, or in your favorite "Jesus" chair.
• Tell Him you want Him to led you. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to be led by Him more than ever before.
• Ask Him any questions that are on your mind.
• Listen for His answers. If He doesn’t respond immediately, He will respond at some point. He loves to communicate in many different ways.

You are His beloved child! Let Him show you how to walk with Him.

You Were Meant to Stand

And what about that little girl on the floor with her hips in the air and her legs tucked beneath her?

Her strength and confidence grow with each attempt. She just hadn't discovered yet what all her legs can do.

Whatever wobbly place you find yourself in today, you are meant to stand, walk, run, and do exploits for the Kingdom of God.

Your Father is right there, close enough to steady you the moment you reach for Him.

Blessings,

Dr. Cynthia Johnson, Deeper Walk Ministries, Inc.

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