John 3:8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

The wind is composed of air, in motion. The air is potential energy. The wind is kinetic energy. It can cool the skin or knock trees down.

Ecclesiastes 8:8 No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.

We have no power to restrain the Spirit.

Luke 1:35 The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; 

The Spirit comes with the power of the Most High.

We do not have the power, we are not in control, we are overwhelmed. Sometimes He is just sitting still, potential energy. He does the will of the Father.

John 8:58-59 English Standard Version

58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Jesus was not seen by those who sought to stone Him to death. This would have hindered the will of the Father. If Jesus did this, then the Spirit can move through us without our seeing Him because we might hinder the will of the Father if we did.

Psalm 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

This is one of the hardest tests of faith to understand. The Holy Spirit can move through us to do the will of the Father without our awareness because we might be too frail or because we might interfere with the Father’s will. How can we be strengthened so as not to faint?

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Psalm 119:28 My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!

Romans 16:25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages

Ephesians 3:16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Isaiah 41:7 The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good”; and they strengthen it with nails so that it cannot be moved.

The Word came to me and it was moved.

As I searched out the scriptures this passage in Isiah moved me.

We are in this together.

All I can contribute here is how my relationship with the Word works for me. This is one of the most difficult things to understand, how the Word speaks to us. By faith is a concept until the Spirit makes it known to us. We cannot make it happen, we have to let it happen.

When I came back to the bible after years of neglect I was an avid reader. I began with the gospel of John. My thinking at the time was that John knew Him best. That was my thought. Now decades later I tend to leave my personal opinions aside so that my flesh does not interfere with my hearing. But that is just me. I cannot speak for anyone else. As we share with each other our studies and conclusions we begin to understand the importance of agreement.

Philippians 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

How He speaks to us as individuals is because of our attention to the relationship. We own it. Together, as we share with each other, we get a glimpse into how He makes His will known. Getting to know each other better helps us to get to know Him better.

What I would like to say now is something that took me a long time to understand.

My way of hearing and expressing my experience is not the only way.

Love does not insist on its own way. This line of passage in 1 Corinthians 13:5 keeps appearing in my life over and over again with many of my personal relationships. Others may persist but it is up to me to show grace and not be resentful i.e. 1 Corinthians 13:5b love is not irritable or resentful.

This is how the Word comes alive in me, to see how the Word guides me towards better behaviors. But again, that is just me. How the Word works in others may be different because we are different. I honestly believe we have a personal relationship with our Lord. He treats us as individuals because He knows what we need and how best to meet those needs.