The Wind and the Spirit

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

“As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.” Ecclesiastes 11:5

John 3:8 illustrates the fact that the working of the Holy Spirit is like the wind. The same word is used in Greek here for wind and the Spirit. It can be translated either way. The work of the Spirit is invisible and mysterious like the blowing of the wind. Man controls neither nor can ascertain where it will blow (appear) next but the Holy Spirit is constantly working, carrying out the will of the Father. The Spirit works as He wills in a Believer’s life and distributes spiritual gifts to each Christian to deploy – not always the gifts he might desire.

There are three similarities of the wind to the Spirt. First both operate sovereignly. Second, we can only perceive the presence of both by their effects. Third, we cannot explain their actions as they arise from unseen and partially unknowable factors. Likewise, like the birth of a child, our new birth takes place according to the will of God. It is invisible, you cannot see it taking place except by the results of it in a person’s life. As we cannot know the way of the invisible wind we do not know the works of God who makes everything, except as He reveals them. We do know that Believers are God’s workmanship (masterpiece) created by God to perform specific good works (Ephesians 2:10). Our part is to simply follow God’s precepts and trust God to do His work in our life and He is faithful to do so.

Life is indeed a wonderful mystery. We should not expect to fully understand all of what happens around us. But God is in control and His Spirit is working. It causes me to want to pray “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).