It Is Time

It is Time
May 5, 2013
Acts 20:22  "'And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.'"

Have you ever had a pressing feeling inside of your spirit that you were supposed to do something, a specific task out of the ordinary?  Maybe you've felt some strong urge inside of you, pulling you toward a goal you didn't set for yourself.  Some of you may have experienced an internal leading toward something, not knowing where or why you were going, but knowing you were suppose to follow that leading.  It is the voice of the Holy Spirit.  It is time we all start listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit.  But the voice of the Holy Spirit is not the same as listening to the Heavenly Father.  No, the Voice of the Holy Spirit is more like a leading in your own spirit, an internal compulsion that creates peace at the same time it creates questions inside of you.

The Apostle Paul was an expert at listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  While on his missionary journeys, the Holy Spirit was actually the one who set his schedule and itinerary.  Normally, people like to create their own time tables when traveling.  I'm sure Paul would have liked to have dictated his own schedule, but he left it completely in the hands of the Holy Spirit.  When it was time to go, Paul went wherever he was led.  When it was time to stay, Paul obeyed.  When it was time to avoid, Paul turned toward safety.  Whatever the instance, Paul listened to the leading of the Holy Spirit, always willing to go when the Spirit said it was time.

You and I need to be that same way, always willing to respond when the Spirit says, "It is time."  Except many times, what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what we have scheduled.  What the Holy Spirit has in store sometimes rubs against our comfort levels.  Where the Holy Spirit is leading often creates more questions inside than answers.  We like to know where we are going, why, to what end, and how it will benefit us in the long run.  But the Holy Spirit does not tell you any of that, maybe only bits and pieces if you are lucky.  No, the Holy Spirit simply creates in you an internal drive telling you it is time, and you are acutely aware that the leading did not come from your own ideas, imagination, or desires.

Paul said he was compelled by the Holy Spirit, meaning it was more like a debate that he submitted to, realizing his flesh wanted something different.  In one specific case, Paul was led by the Holy Spirit into a hostile and threatening place, knowing it would be the opposite of pleasant.  But the Holy Spirit told Paul it was time to go there, and Paul submitted, even though he faced the unknown and discomfort.  Paul listened to the leading of the Holy Spirit and it was the right thing.

You, too, have felt this same leading inside, though you don't understand what it is or why you are being led toward this specific journey.  I recommend following that compelling spirit, because it is the voice of the Holy Spirit.  When the Holy Spirit leads, it is ok to follow, not knowing what you are really doing or why.  If He is leading, then it will be the right direction and the correct course of action for your life.  It is time to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit and go into that unknown, forgetting your plans and schedules.  He is compelling you even now.  It is time.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Psalm 143:10, John 14:26, Acts 20