by Rev. Steve Nickodemus

Some Like it Hot…

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“Do not put out the Spirit’s fire…“
1 Thessalonians 5:19

When our tour through the hop processing plant got to the hop dryer, things started to get a little uncomfortable.  Several of these huge gas furnaces keep the temperature in the dryer at 130 degrees Fahrenheit.  This high heat is necessary to drive out the moisture from the hop blossoms, so that they can be preserved and used in the brewery process.

Yes, it is uncomfortable to work at that temperature, but no one questions that it is necessary to suffer a little to achieve a great result.

In much the same way, being led by the Spirit of God can sometimes feel uncomfortable, but that degree of “heat” is necessary for eternal gain.  The Holy Spirit convicts you, and me, of our sin, and drives us to repentance.  That is uncomfortable.  It hurts to admit our sin before God and to confess that we need Him.  However, if the Holy Spirit is to do His proper work of bringing us to faith in Christ Jesus, sometimes you and I are going to feel a little uncomfortable.

The Spirit continues to turn the heat up on us as we live out our Christian lives.  The Holy Spirit speaks to us in Word and prayer, exhorts us to forgive, to go to those who are upset and hurting, and to minister wherever the Lord leads.  Sometimes that can be uncomfortable too, but this fiery Spirit must lead us through the wilderness of life to the Promised Land.  He calls you to trust in this quickening power of the Spirit, and to follow the Spirit’s leading even when you would rather just hide from the hard stuff.

This discomfort leads to a revealing of God’s good eternal plan in our lives, even when it seems a bit too warm for me.

Holy Spirit, thank you for your divine, high temperature, leading, even when I feel a bit uncomfortable.  Grant me faith to trust in You, even during fiery trials of life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.