Holy Spirit Conviction
I think about the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead and I think of a force, a power, and an energy. Scripture refers to the Holy Spirit as a helper, a comforter, one who brings Gods word to remembrance, one who convicts and challenges, equips and empowers but one who also emboldens and helps catapult us out of our comfort zones into the marvelous works that God planned for us to do long before we were formed.

From the beginning, the book of Genesis introduces us to the Spirit of God that brooded over a dark and formless mass. It showcases the Spirits collaboration with God in speaking the Heavens and earth into being. When Virgin Mary questioned the perplexities of Angel Gabriel's message that she would bear a child, the Angel ascribed the event to the Holy Spirit covering over her. "The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will surround you!" the angel replied. Somehow the young, impressionable, vulnerable, naïve Mary responded uncharacteristically and unexpectedly from a new-found strength of character and complete surrender by boldly declaring, "May it be unto me as you have said!" She could so easily have asked for time, for answers, or perhaps even outright refusal to the most untimely outrageous proposition - instead the covering of the Holy Spirit cocooned her feelings and confusions aligning them to the will of God for her life. Luke 2:19 says, "She kept all these things in her heart and pondered them" Only the workings of the Holy Spirit could have stilled Mary's heart into accepting such an epic and colossal plan for her life and for all mankind!

Fast-forward to when Jesus' Ministry began, when He sought Disciples and Fishers of men. What was it that made Jesus venture into the most improbable places seeking the least likely, least qualified candidates? Why didn't Jesus go the synagogues and recruit the Rabbi's and Pharisee's of the time? Surely these were learned men of religious law? "Consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are!" 1 Corinthians 26-28. How else can God translate His will, His purpose and His plans other than investing in persons so contrary to human standards? Surely it's not by might or by power but by His Spirit!

I think of Peter's timeline. A rough and ready fisherman caught in the humdrum of all he knew to do, fish. Jesus decided that He could do with a Peter as one of His twelve. I'm not sure what criteria Jesus used to have handpicked Him for the job, but Jesus always looks beyond our faults, our failures, our human frailties and shortcomings and sees our worth, our potential and our future. Jeremiah 29:11 is clear, His Plans for us are good, to give us hope and a future! Didn't He have a plan for Peter!? He witnessed Peter's disappointment that day when He walked onto the shores of Galilee and saw him wash empty nets. You have to applaud Jesus' recruiting prowess - Peter sought fish, Jesus sought a fisher of men. He gave Peter all the fish He could salvage from those waters yet Peter left it all behind to follow Him. The call to follow Jesus became unpredictably far more appealing. What caused this sudden transformation, the conviction and raring courage to trade in his livelihood for the unknown? Not by might, nor by power but by the Spirit of God.

Peter faltered and fumbled his way into Discipleship, yet God's abounding Grace never failed to suffice and cover over all of his limitations and deficiencies. Notwithstanding these defects and mishaps - Peter had a heart for God - He provoked and pushed the boundaries of his faith and was duly credited for it. The first to recognize Jesus walk on stormy seas to rescue them, Peter asked, "Lord if it's you - bid me come!" This is a demonstration of Radical faith, of the impossible made possible by the Presence of God in perplexing, unnatural circumstances, but surely not by any of our ability, capacity or strength - save by His Spirit!