Ecclesiastes 11:5

NASB	NLT	VOICE
5 Just as you do not know the path of the wind, and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes everything.	5 Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all thing.	5 You can no more predict the path of the wind than you can explain how a child’s bones are formed in a mother’s womb. Even more, you will never understand the workings of the God who made all things.

We do not know or understand why and how God does what he does. Christians run on faith that we continue follow what God teaches in all circumstances and trust the results in his strength and wisdom. The results may not be something we want to experience or something that we hoped for, but we trust in faith that God’s ways are greater than our own and his plan for us is greater than our own. When we release our control, by faith, to God, we release the weight off our shoulders. We’re saying, “God, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’ll do what you say.” You just follow – don’t think, hesitate, panic – you do. It may work out or it may not, but God’s had the answer the whole time and we trusted him to see if it would or wouldn’t.

Ecclesiastes 1:15

NASB	NLT	VOICE
15 What is crooked cannot be straightened, and what is lacking cannot be counted.	15 What is wrong cannot be made right. What is missing cannot be recovered.	15 There is an old saying: “Something crooked cannot be made straight and something missing cannot be counted.”

Solomon, when writing about his own life, discovered that neither his accomplishments nor his wisdom could make him truly happy. Our wisdom is found in God. Our happiness comes from following his wisdom. We have all found that feeling that encourages us to do the right thing. The warm, tingly feeling that allows us to find the courage to do the right, uncomfy things for someone. Something that does not feel normal to you and doesn’t feel like you. The Holy Spirit comes in and nudges you forward. You may not know what to say, but that’s when God’s wisdom shines. You may not know what to do, but that’s when God’s wisdom shines. From my experience, it’ll feel like you’re on autopilot, but have no idea how or when you got there. It’ll be fun, scary, exciting, and a true representation of what it’s like to follow God.

John 3:8

NASB	NLT	VOICE
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so everyone who has been born of the Spirit.”	8 The wind blows where it wants. Just as you can hear the wind, but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”	8 The wind blows all around us as if it has a will of its own; we feel and hear it, but we do not understand where it has come from or where it will end up. Life in the Spirit is as if it were the wind of God.

Jesus explained to Nicodemus that we cannot control the work of the Holy Spirit. He works in ways that we cannot predict or understand. Jesus as you did not control your physical birth, you do not control your spiritual birth into God’s family. It’s a gift given from God through the Holy Spirit. We see this happening through the act of baptism. Our being covered in the waters (through submersion, sprinkling, or any form of baptism) and wash of our past. We are forgiven for who we were, for we are no longer them. We put to death our old selves are made new (reborn) into God’s spiritual family. Some denominations prioritize this from birth, while some denominations say you can do it. Some denominations will not re-baptize you if you were baptized before as well. However, it makes sense to you, please know that your baptism is your entrance into God’s family. If you were baptized as a baby, as I was, you can rest easy knowing that you are already in God’s family. The focus for you should be on repentance and making sure you are continuously striving to follow what God commands you to do to spread his will and glory.

Next slice of manna: Manna for the Mind #214