"In This New Year ....."

During 2010, I was very blessed to spend almost every day creating a journal through the 70+ Psalms of David. He truly taught me much, some of which I regularly shared on this blog. I created that Hallelujah Journal for my very special daughter, Michelle Sullivan, and presented it to her at the beginning of last year.

All of 2011, I wrote a journal for my son, Michael Sutherland, that centered in Solomon's Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. For a very long time I have encouraged young fathers to do whatever is required for them to spend time with their young children and teach them Proverbs, especially their sons. I completed that journal with some personal memories of my US Navy days, which I know Mike will get a kick out of.

Now, in 2012, I am beginning a new journal for my youngest daughter, Felicia Patten, who has requested that I write about the Holy Spirit. She and I have talked a good bit about this subject over the last few years and I am eager to enter into this challenge with her in mind. I had a tiny bit of hesitancy at first because I thought, "Write about the Holy Spirit every day for a whole year? Is there really that much to say?" Then I began to think more clearly about it and quickly realized that I need this more than I thought at first. So I am entering into this new challenge with a heightened sense of anticipation of what the Spirit will teach me.

One thing that has really impressed my own spirit is a kind of 'off-handed' statement Paul makes in his Romans letter at 15:30. He is asking for the prayers of his Romans brethren because he felt a real sense of risk in his determination to visit Jerusalem to deliver the funds he had collected from the churches of Achaia for those in Jerusalem. Their lives had been severely disrupted by a widespread famine that had plagued the area for several years and Paul felt obligated to offer assistance. But, he also knew the probability of a serious rejection by the "unbelievers" and knew his visit would undoubtedly prompt some kind of altercation.

"I urge you brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me." Romans 15:30 NIV

I guess I never really have thought of the Holy Spirit within the context of "love". But the more I consider it, the more I realize that the Holy Spirit is God and since God is love, and Jesus loves me unconditionally, I should not be surprised by the love of the Spirit. Paul gives us a detailed description of one of the greatest acts of the love of the Spirit back at Romans 8:26 by informing us that "the Spirit helps us in our weakness" by interceding for us in prayer to the Father with "groans that words cannot express". 

Its true, we don't always know how to tell our Father what we think and feel but because he loves us, the Holy Spirit somehow takes our feeble prayer efforts to the Father's throne and pleads for us with a kind of language that only he and the Father know. Why? That's his job, at least a big part of it. That's who he is and its what he's always done for God's warriors in this world.

So, off we go on this new adventure into a world of thought and meditation that may be a bit strange for some of us but holds great promise. I pray many will join with us on journey and visit these pages often. There is much to be learned and appreciated about the Holy Spirit's love. HALLELUJAH!