The Invitation

"Reckless Love" by Cory Asbury:

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so so kind to me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the 99
And I couldn't earn it
I don't deserve it, still You give yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God

The words drifted throughout the lake house and permeated the air. Never had I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit quite like this. It took my breath away yet filled my lungs with air, all at the same time. Words can never adequately express the experience, but I don’t think they are meant to. The Holy Spirit isn’t something you can put in a box with a label. He isn’t defined by the words that we say or what we think He should be. I never fully understood that until this moment.

I grew up in church, my grandfather was a Baptist evangelist, and most of my mother’s side of the family was in ministry of some sort. We attended church 3 times a week, at minimum, learned Scripture, attended Bible class in our Christian school, and practiced "Sword Drills" in our spare time (If you know, you know.). The Holy Spirit was mentioned as part of the Trinity, but I don't remember talking about Him by Himself. He was more of a mystery to me than anything else.

That was until I had my first real encounter with Him.

It wasn’t until I was an adult that I truly recognized the presence of the Holy Spirit and felt Him in the very same room. I don’t think that means He was never there; I simply wasn’t looking for Him.

And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” - Acts 5:32 NASB

JOURNAL: What has been your view of the Holy Spirit? (as a child and now as a teenager or adult)

"Reckless Love" Continued:

When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me

As tears flowed, the words continued to resonate in my heart while I sat among counselors at a retreat by Lake Gaston, preparing for Youth Camp that summer. Whether we’ve grown up in church and had an encounter with the Holy Spirit or whether we are just discovering Him now, He will pursue us. He won’t give up on us until we feel the fullness of His love and recognize His presence in our lives. We can go through the motions of our faith or run to the ends of the earth, but He will find us in either place. Some might view that as reckless, but that’s just how much He loves us.

“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the other ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ - Luke 15:4-6 NASB

PRAYER/ACTIVATION: I challenge you to open your heart to the Holy Spirit. Invite Him into your life. Invite Him into your day. Invite Him to go before you and lead the way. Take time to sit in His presence and allow His overwhelming, reckless love to wash over you. He’s just waiting for your invitation. 

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