Listen to the Holy Spirit

Luke scanned the yard for anything of interest. His dad and grandmother were deep in conversation beside the porch steps, and he was incredibly bored. When he spotted a large pile of firewood at the edge of the yard, his eyes brightened, and he took off in its direction.

“Don’t go near the woodpile.” The voice in Luke’s head made him pause. Could God be speaking to me? He wasn’t sure. Why, he was just a kid! But he did know that he wanted to climb that woodpile. I don’t see any danger, he thought.He shrugged his shoulders and continued downhill until he reached a large log and began to climb.

Suddenly a loud rattling sound filled the surrounding air with a sense of alarm. Only a few feet ahead of him, a long brown snake was curled up, preparing to strike. In an instant Luke was petrified. He had never seen a rattlesnake before in his life! Yet he instinctively knew that it was dangerous. What could he do? He began to yell as he backed away—and then, to his horror, he realized that his little brother Daniel had toddled to the woodpile after him and didn’t seem to recognize the danger!

Dad came running. “A rattler!” he exclaimed. Grandmother grabbed Daniel’s hand and pulled him away from the snake. Luke’s heart thumped as he ran up the hill and into the house, where Mom hugged them both. “Praise God that you were saved from being bitten,” she exclaimed over and over. Her hands trembled, and her eyes filled with tears.

When you listen to the Holy Spirit, you are not only blessed and closer to heaven because of it, but you also become a powerful witnessing tool in God’s hands.

“Mama, I heard a voice in my mind that told me not to go to the woodpile,” Luke later confessed.

“That was the voice of the Holy Spirit,” Mom replied. “Listen to that voice, and as you grow older, it will save you from many troubles.”

“A lot of thoughts come into my brain. How do I know which ones are from the Holy Spirit?” Luke wondered.

“That’s a good question,” Mom replied, pausing to think. “It’s important to spend time in the Bible. As you read God’s words, you will learn to recognize His voice. The Holy Spirit will always tell you to do what’s right, and you can test the thoughts against what you’ve learned in the Bible.”

Luke shivered when he thought of how close he had come to the rattlesnake, and Mom placed her hand on his shoulder. “God warns us in Matthew 26:41 that we should ‘watch and pray,’ because we have an enemy who wants to destroy us.”

“The devil.”

“Yes, that’s right,” she nodded.

“But he’s not going to win,” Luke said. “Jesus wins. And I’m going to do my best to listen to His voice.”

“That’s a big part of watching and praying,” Mom smiled. “Our only true safety is found in Jesus. When you listen to the Holy Spirit, you are not only blessed and closer to heaven because of it, but you also become a powerful witnessing tool in God’s hands. That’s how you can accomplish His mission for your life.”

Luke thought for a moment. “I don’t know exactly what God wants me to do, but I have a pretty good idea for now—listen for His directions.”

Mom smiled, because Luke suddenly looked exceedingly wise for his years. “That’s exactly right,” she said. “Let God’s Word and Spirit guide you.”