This week’s devotions are based on Week 4 of Confessing Christ in a Confused World (WATCH HERE)
John 3:8 “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
You have never actually seen the wind.
You’ve seen tree branches bend. You’ve watched leaves race across a yard. You’ve noticed flags snapping on a breezy day or heard the whistle of wind around the corner of a house. After a strong thunderstorm, you may wake to find broken limbs scattered across your neighborhood. The evidence is unmistakable. The wind has been there, even though your eyes never saw it.
Jesus used that simple truth to teach Nicodemus about the Holy Spirit.
Nicodemus came to Jesus under the cover of darkness. He was a respected Pharisee, a teacher of God’s Law, and a member of the ruling council. If anyone should have understood the things of God, it was Nicodemus. Yet Jesus quickly revealed that all of his knowledge and religious accomplishments could not produce what he needed most. “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
Nicodemus immediately thought in physical terms. “How can a man be born when he is old?” he asked. He could not imagine a second physical birth. But Jesus was speaking of something even greater. The Holy Spirit gives a spiritual birth. He creates new life where there was only spiritual death.
That is still true today.
We live in a world that prizes self-improvement. We are told to believe in ourselves, work harder, think more positively, and become the best version of ourselves. But Jesus reminds us that Christianity is not about improving the old self. It is about receiving a new life that only the Holy Spirit can give.
Martin Luther beautifully explains this in the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him.” Left to ourselves, we would remain spiritually blind and dead in sin. We would never seek God on our own. Yet the good news of the Gospel is that God does not wait for us to find Him. The Holy Spirit comes to us through His Word and Sacraments. He calls us by the Gospel, creates faith in our hearts, and gives us new birth.
Every time God’s Word is preached, read, or shared, the Holy Spirit is at work breathing life into hearts.
You may not always feel the Spirit’s work. Some days your faith feels strong. Other days it may feel weak or clouded by doubts. Yet your confidence does not rest on your emotions. It rests on God’s promise. Just as the wind continues to blow whether you notice it or not, the Holy Spirit continues to work through His means of grace whether your feelings rise or fall.
So where do you see the evidence that the Spirit is still blowing?
You see faith where there was once unbelief. You see sinners clinging to Christ for forgiveness. You see children brought to the waters of Baptism. You see believers gathered around God’s Word. You see lives changed by His grace. These are not merely human achievements. They are the fingerprints of the Holy Spirit.
Today, thank God that His Spirit has not left you to yourself. He has called you. He has given you life in Christ. Though you cannot see the Spirit with your eyes, you can rejoice in the unmistakable evidence of His gracious work in your life.
Reflect: Where have you seen the Holy Spirit’s work producing new life in your own faith journey? How does knowing that faith is God’s gift bring comfort when your faith feels weak?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank You for giving me new life through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When I was dead in my sins, You called me by Your grace and created faith in my heart. Continue to strengthen that faith through Your Word and Sacraments. Open my eyes to see the evidence of Your work in my life and in Your Church, and keep me trusting in Christ until the day faith becomes sight. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.