I remember years ago when I first began to listen and follow Holy Spirit. It was simple, I would get a sense of something and then do it. If I’m being honest I didn’t always listen for Holy Spirit. And would fall into the pattern of just doing my own thing.

As time has gone on and my relationship with Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit has deepened the way we relate has also deepened. I realize as I continue down this road with Him the wineskin analogy often applies. I try old ways and those no longer work…we are past that and there is a deep need to progress to the new with Him.

This following of Him and Holy Spirit is much more relational, less do this not that…less formulaic in my opinion. I love a formula. It works. It’s comfortable. This deeper walk requires a deeper maturity. A connection that happens on the regular and then is inflected into every day life. I realized I was listening for the old promptings when He was calling me deeper, into the new wineskin if you will.

Let me be less ethereal…I had a choice to make recently that is not easy for me. It’s a risk. Some risks for me are easy some are not. This was not. I struggled with if I should do this or not, I felt I was walking into uncharted territory and I know of many who have failed in this territory. But everything surrounding the situation echoed His peace. I asked Him about it and felt His response: partner with Me. You cannot fail if you do it with Me. So I am. How freeing are those words? You cannot fail if you do it with Him? It is a leap. It is blind trust in Him…but what’s this walk and relationship for if not to take steps with Him in trust? Listening to and for Him past a formula is also choosing to trust Him. I love that He is consistently calling us deeper. Into a deeper relationship. Into the more with Him. In these places, especially ones where you don’t know better and you’re actually giving over the right to know, one learns to trust Him more and His perfect way and will are displayed in one’s life (when I am weak, He is strong, type thought). I love this verse from Psalm 37: 5 Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust Him along the way you’ll find He pulled it off perfectly!

I was reminded last night at a teaching of a deep truth: God longs to display His power and glory but this may mean us taking a risk. This man shared how he and a team would go to high schools and say, do you want me to prove that God is real? And then they would pray over students and the students were healed of various issues and delivered from darkness. The risk was looking foolish…what if God didn’t show up? But the real is, God is REAL!!! He longs to “show up”. I’m convinced over and over and over again the thing that grieves His heart so much is not being believed. He wants to be believed. My heart echoed this teacher last night when he said something along the lines of: I don’t want a dull Christianity. I want the real thing. I want a real relationship with Him. When one has a real relationship with Him there will be risk involved and it’s in the stepping out into the risk or not that reveals what one deeply believes in their heart: is God good? Is He really going to “show up”? Does He love me? Oh, let me tell you, HE DOES!!! He loves you more than you could handle. And He longs to show you. I can’t think of one time that I took a risk, a step out in faith with Him where He didn’t show up and display His deep love for me. Yes, it looks miraculous or healing but it also looks like love. The love of a Father for His child.

Is there an area you feel to step into a deeper relationship with Him? Does it feel like a risk to you? I’m guessing if it does, He wants to develop a deeper level of trust with you but ask Him about it. He longs more than anything to have a personal relationship with you. Just you. One where He speaks with you directly, no middle man involved. I encourage you to get alone with Him. Talk with Him. Listen for Him. And if He prompts you to, take the step out in faith to follow Him. He is so good. He loves you so much more than any person on earth ever could. And He longs to show you as much. Please share any stories in steps of trust you’ve taken with Him where He showed up. These stories boost mine and others’ faith.