Devotion
The Wind Goes Where It Wants
“The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.' - John 3:8”
Nicodemus wants a system. Jesus hands him the weather.
In the language Jesus and Nicodemus were speaking, the word for wind and the word for Spirit are the same word. So Jesus makes a play on it. You cannot see the wind, schedule it, or control it. You can only notice where it has been. That is what the Spirit is like. Which means new birth is not a process a religious professional gets to manage. Nicodemus has spent his life mastering what people must do. Jesus tells him God is already moving in places nobody approved, on a timetable nobody submitted. God does not wait for anyone to be ready before he shows up.
Practice
There are two applications here, and you probably need both.
Prayer
Lord, I confess that I have decided in advance who is reachable and who is not. Forgive me. You move where you please, and I am glad you did not wait for me to get ready. Blow through the life of the person whose name I just wrote down, and let me be nearby when you do. Amen.
This Week’s Message
This devotion follows along with this week’s message.