A helicopter hovered over a wildfire with a Bambi bucket, ready to dump water and flame retardant. Firefighters used it to douse blazes. The mission required a pilot skilled in coordination for stationary hovering.
At the beginning of creation, the Holy Spirit hovered over the formless earth and shone light on the water’s surface. Elohim, the Hebrew name for God as Creator, spoke the heavens and the earth into existence from nothing.
Shrouded in darkness, the earth was a vast expanse of unshapen and vacant space. The Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the deep, equipped to dispatch light and order. Imagine borderless water, black as a Louisiana bayou. Did the vision allure or repel? I glimpsed a mental image of Isaiah’s description of our suffering Messiah: “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2).
The Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity, played a pivotal role in bringing order and light to the chaos of the formless earth. Like a skilled helicopter pilot in the face of an infernal blaze, His presence dispelled darkness and exercised God’s great power. He lingered over gloom and caused it to gleam.
Today, the Spirit hovers inside the heart of every believer. His presence provides comfort and reassurance, guiding our daily journey from earth to heaven. The Living Water extinguishes the flames of confusion, providing clarity and understanding to all who ask for and accept His guidance.
Ask the Spirit to snuff out sparks of contention between you and others daily. Then, yield to His leading.
Sharon Simms is a writer.