Introduction
We might notice from our own experiences that sometimes we lose awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence as we go through our day. There are moments when we may do things that are not pleasing to the Lord without even realizing it. We might feel annoyed, angry, or frustrated and forget to exercise self-control, even if just for a moment. The words we speak during these times remain and cannot be taken back.
Throughout our daily activities, we might engage in conversations with others and become absorbed in the spirit of those discussions, often forgetting that the Lord hears every word we say. Even when we are driving alone, we should remember that there is another passenger in the car: the Lord. And He can hear our loud comments when we’re upset with other drivers. He hears what we listen to on our radio station and even what we think.
And as believers in the Lord Jesus, we often feel rebuked by the Holy Spirit due to our actions or words. Therefore, it is essential to maintain an awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our hearts and to avoid grieving the Lord through what we say and do. This awareness extends not only to our conversations about others but also to discussions about God, creation, nature, heaven, and the Bible. As the Bible states, we currently understand only in part (1 Corinthians 13:9). However, we may think we possess wisdom and have found definitive answers, leading us to speak about others and various matters in a forceful and judgmental manner.
In all things, we must remain humble and thoughtful, especially when discussing the Word of God and the Holy Spirit’s work on earth. Many people criticize the work of the Holy Spirit, especially regarding the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which involves speaking in an unknown tongue. We should disregard their words and avoid mentioning them. Instead, we must always strive to be aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence within our hearts, to please Him, and to remember that He hears and sees us, and we cannot hide from Him.
To listen to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we must remain steadfast in the Word of God. We should continually nourish our souls with the bread of life—Jesus Christ, the true and living Word of God.
Food for the Soul
In John 6, the Lord Jesus teaches the disciples—and us—about the difference between food for the physical body and food for the soul, as well as how to attain eternal life for our souls. He explains that He is the bread of life, the true bread from heaven, and that His teachings lead to eternal life. In this section, we will comment on John 6:57-65 to highlight the importance of listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts for guidance.
57 Just as the living Father sent Me, and I live on account of the Father; also, the one feeding on Me, that one also will live on account of Me.
In this place, the beloved Son of God has said to all believers that He Himself is living on account of the Father; all those who believe in the beloved Son of God Himself will live on account of Him as well; what the beloved Son of God has received likewise, He will also give to all that believe and trust in Him.
“And I live on account of the Father.” Here, it has told all readers that the Father and the beloved Son are One; the beloved Son of God lives in the Father, and also, the Father Himself lives in the beloved Son of God: this tells all readers that the God of Three is One, the Trinity but One.
58 This is the bread having come down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. The one that eats this bread will live for eternity.
Because their fathers ate the manna, but now the true living bread is the beloved Son of God Himself, and He has come down from heaven to earth, and whoever has taken this living bread, his spiritual life will be forever.
“Not as the fathers ate and died.” The manna was food for the body, not for the soul. The manna itself did not give eternal life to their souls, but faith in the Lord Jesus, the beloved Son of God, does give life eternal to the soul. The manna did not give eternal life to their souls, but trust and faith in the beloved Son of God bring peace to the souls, leading to eternal life.
59 These said He in a synagogue, teaching in Capernaum.
60 Many, therefore, of His disciples, having heard, said, This is a hard saying; who is able to listen to it?
As all readers can notice in this verse, His disciples as humans have heard the word from the beloved Son of God, but they did not think beyond what they could see; all they could understand was to eat His real meat from His body and drink His real blood from His body, they had not thought about the spiritual world but this world only; this is normal because they are just common humans as well.
61 But Jesus knowing in Himself that His disciples are murmuring about this, said to them, Does this offend you?
62 If so, you should see the Son of Man ascending where He was before?
The beloved Son of God tried to link their minds back to what He was speaking about; they must learn to think about what He wanted to tell them about the heavenly place where He was before.
63 It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I speak to you are Spirit and are life.
As this verse has told, the beloved Son of God does not want to teach only His disciples but also the ones after, who will read the Holy Word. So, we all should make the difference as well between the spiritual world and the earthly world; the degree of difference has been told here as well; the beloved Son’s word itself is Spirit, and it has life and gives life to those who believe: anyone who has faith and believes in the word of the Spirit of Christ will gain life eternal.
64 But they are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they are the ones not believing, and who it is that will betray Him.
The beloved Son of God has seen and heard every heart of humans. His knowledge about humans is clear as it is written on the paper; the multitude that followed Him not all truly believed in His teaching but followed with the expectation of food to eat. Also, the beloved Son of God had already known that one of His own disciples would betray Him, but to fulfill the work, He would not stop that disciple; everyone has free will to do, and this disciple has heard the Living Word but disregarded all things that he heard and betrayed the beloved Son of God.
65 And He said, Because of this I have said to you, that no one is able to come to Me, if not it be given to him from the Father.
As the verse tells all, the Father is always at work. He also has seen the heart of humans, and with mercy, the Father Himself will give the knowledge to each of us humans. When you have a chance to hear the Living Word, that word will work in the heart of a person and bring that soul to accept and believe in the Holy Word the beloved Son has told and set in the mind of the person to meditate on His teachings; then by faith, that soul will live forever with the beloved Son of God Himself.
“If not it be given to him from the Father.” This saying is not about predestination at all; rather, each person has their own choice and free will. If the heart is darkened, the ear will not hear the truth; we can think here that one of His own disciples betrayed the Lord after listening to the Living Word for a long time, and still, his heart was not opened. So, ultimately, it is their own free choice of everyone; will you listen to the little voice in your heart and follow God or just listen to humans cursing God?
Talking about the little voice in your heart: if you give attention to that little voice in your heart, you will not turn away from the Living Word; that is why the verse has told, “if not be given to him,” to those that listen to that little voice, that little voice is from the Father Himself, listen to that little voice, and that will lead you to be saved. This saying is not predestination; everyone has that little voice, but some have chosen to ignore it and walk away from what that little voice has told them. All have the ability to hear in their hearts that there is a God, and they should worship Him. That is why the free choice has been told about: everyone has the freedom to listen to the little voice or not listen; that is what this verse has told.
“Given to him” here means that the Father speaks to all with the little voice in their heart, so all have the same chance to listen to His voice, but then they have the freedom to take what has been given to them or not.
Explanatory note: “No one is able to come to Me, if not it be given to him from the Father,” means that if, in fact, no one has the voice of the Father in their hearts, no one would come to the Father; however, the Father speaks to all humans into their hearts with His voice telling them about the Trinity of God and the creation; therefore, it is everyone’s free choice to choose God or reject God; that is what this verse tells all.
Ultimately, we are all responsible for our own decisions. The Lord has given us free will, but as Christians, we must remember that our choices are ultimately His. We should listen to His voice in our hearts and strive to please Him in everything we do. To better hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we must meditate on the Word of God daily. Meditation on God’s Word goes beyond merely reading and understanding; it involves acting on the teachings found within it. This meditation means that we genuinely hold the meaning of God’s words deep in our hearts, allowing them to come alive and influence our actions in every moment of our lives.
Conclusions
In conclusion, we should strive to connect our minds with our hearts by meditating on the Word of God daily. This practice helps us become more aware of the Lord’s presence and prevents us from speaking or acting rashly. As stated in Ecclesiastes 5:2-3: “Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore, let your words be few. For a dream comes with a multitude of business, and a fool’s voice with a multitude of words.” Additionally, the Bible provides numerous verses encouraging us to control our tongues, including James 3:1-12 and Proverbs 21:23, among others.
In everything we do each day, it is essential to avoid grieving the Holy Spirit and to live a life that pleases the Lord. This will enable us to maintain peace, which comes from practicing true meditation on the Word of God. Peace is a result of being reconciled with God at all times; when we are not at peace with Him, we lose our inner peace, calm, and joy. We should always remember the Holy Spirit’s words in Psalm 51: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; And uphold me with a willing spirit.”
Meditation Tasks
- We invite everyone reading this blog to reflect on our article titled “The Holy Spirit Proceeding.”
- Reflect on the true meaning of the meditation on the Word of God.