Amy Boucher Pye

Tag: Holy Spirit

  • Devotional of the week: A new heart and a new spirit

    “It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone… I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ezekiel 36:22, 25–27)

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    We might think that the Holy Spirit is absent in the Old Testament, but he is alive – if sometimes hidden. Here God says that he will give the Holy Spirit to his people, to live and move amongst them and to lead them to holiness.

    In Ezekiel’s words we see turning from the old self to the new as a process of conversion. First is an outward cleansing (purification); second is a heart transplant (renovation); third is a filling with the Holy Spirit and the right living that results (sanctification). Of course people will have different experiences of coming to faith in the triune God, but these steps reveal the total level of transformation it entails. God changes our hearts and our spirits, which in the Hebrew understanding meant not just our emotions but also our wills.

    And why does God go to these lengths to restore his fallen people? For his glory, for his name was being profaned as they lived outside of the Promised Land. As the neighboring nations witness God saving his people, they will realize his power and grace.

    A heart of stone is a cold, lifeless, often bitter thing. The Lord would remove any pebbles or rocks that lodge in our hearts, that his Spirit might flow through us. Heart surgery is painful, but as God unclogs our arteries and cleans out any built-up muck, we reap physical, emotional, and spiritual rewards.

     

    For reflection: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

  • God shows up

    “It’s a hungry monster,” I said.

    But my resistance was futile, and having relinquished my fears, I am penning my first blog post. I promise to feed the monster regularly – at least three times a week – with posts, including stories and anecdotes of how God shows up in our lives regularly. I love it when he does that.

    I have a long-distance friend with whom I enjoy a slap-up meal when we meet up. We talk of books, love, literacy, disability, travels… give us a Jamie Oliver restaurant and we can chat into the night.

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    Recently I emailed her about a book-related issue, and as I started to sign off, I had the sudden thought that I should ask her about men. Such as if any of that vast mass of humanity had come to his senses yet and asked her out. As a spiritual rule I try to be sensitive and not bring up, again and again, what can be painful subjects. To the infertile couple: “Any news?” To the hoping singleton: “Any men?” It’s just not helpful, is it.

    So with some fear and trepidation, I asked about the man situation, keeping it short and light. She wrote back the next day with delight, saying that yes indeed there was a guy and things were cool and exciting and…

    And I sat back and thought, “Wow God. Your Spirit prompted me there, didn’t it?” I acted on a little thought, stepping out in faith, which resulted in my friend and I sharing a new layer of intimacy. Delighting in the wonder of young love when possibilities seem unlimited and quirks are charming. Giving thanks for prayers answered.

    What nudges are you sensing today?