The Working of the Spirit Leads to the Goal

The Working of the Spirit Leads to the Goal

The Spirit’s work in us is not to accomplish great deeds, but rather to carry out an individual matter. His goal is that we faithfully accomplish the work that is at hand. When the Spirit leads us to start something, He will also lead us to finish it. The Spirit leads us according to God’s plans, which do not sway back and forth in uncertainty. His plans, words, and thoughts are the law according to which the Spirit leads us. The person who is fully led by the power of the Spirit will absorb in himself God’s clear thoughts and plans, and he will proceed with his actions from the beginning until it is carried out to perfection, so that it can be said that God commanded, and now it exists because of Him, according to God’s Word. This is really what it means to build with gold, silver, and precious stones. Each one must take heed how he builds on it. 1 Cor. 3:10-15.

Self-love, adorned as godliness, develops many great ideas about what needs to be done for God’s kingdom; it wants to build expansively. Great ideas require much room, which will usually result in a name and a place of renown for the person who has them. Wood, hay, and straw always build great, high, and wide; yet it is better to pass through this world unknown with a speck of gold that will endure the fire on the day of testing than to drag along large piles of wood, hay, and straw for people to admire—but to his own dismay when the fire will one day consume his work. In spite of an apparent cleverness in the work, it will become evident in the end that it was the muddled product of a deceived mind.

At first we see only a small beginning of God’s great thoughts and ideas. A mustard seed! But by faithfully following the working of the Spirit, we will discover God’s treasures revealed more and more in His thoughts and in His love. Let us therefore strive to present ourselves to obedience, to carry out each simple task. Many people grow weary after they have taken their first steps, for to follow God’s ways on this earth requires that we die to our own flesh. God always takes this into account. The working of the Spirit always goes in that direction, therefore many people give up in order to follow their own ideas, to work “independently” for God, because then their self-life avoids having to die—and yet they have this consolation that they have done something.

Likewise, when the Spirit leads us into prayer, He will lead us in a certain direction. That prayer is not wavering and vague as if it were the product of pious, indeterminate wishes that proceed from the person himself. God will prepare a certain task for you when you pray. The Spirit will work in you to pray until you have prayed through to victory. Let it not just be a short, pious, wishful prayer. When the Spirit leads you, you will prayerfully follow the effects of your prayer in each individual case until you see the entire answer to your prayer emerging. When you thus pray in and during the entire period of expectation, you will see that your strength in prayer will increase, and the desire for an answer to prayer will grow more and more. As these things increase, you will also press in closer to God. Thus prayer for one particular thing has a two-fold effect: that you receive what you pray for, and that you are growing in God. When you pray much for a single thing, this prayer will become so strong in you that it will become a necessity of life for you to see it answered. Many people forget right away what they have prayed for. It is better just to pray for one thing and pray your way through until your prayer has been answered than to pray for many vague things without expecting them to be answered. An answer to prayer increases faith, so that you have boldness even to pray right through to victory.

Learn from Elijah. 1 Kings 18:41-45. He bowed down to the ground on Mount Carmel and put his face between his knees and prayed for rain. Then he said to his servant: “Go up now, look toward the sea.” He went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” Seven times he said, “Go again.” The seventh time he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” Elijah prayed in faith and looked forward to his prayer being answered. Even though the answer did not come right away, he continued by constantly looking for the answer. It came as a small cloud. Perhaps the answer to your prayer will come in the same way—as a small cloud, as a small spark, as a mustard seed. It is God’s blessing that is on the way. It is hope. Pray right through. Water the mustard seed with your tears; let your prayers, so to speak, make a way for God’s blessings; pray through until the goal has been reached. Then you will notice that prayer will flow over into thanksgiving to Him who is faithful. Then God’s name will be glorified.

Always follow the working of the Spirit right to the goal in each individual thing. Then the singleness of purpose that is in the Spirit will also become yours. You will become grounded in God’s thoughts and in His ways.