An Honorable Habitat

Genesis 8.

The flood has ended.

Noah and his family have been saved from sheer devastation and destruction.

Scripture tells us that after 40 days Noah opened the window and released the raven (verse 6). He also released a dove to see if the water had receded and if it could find dry ground (signifying a resting place had been discovered).

Verse 9 tells us that, "the dove could find no place to land because the water still covered the ground."

Ahh... no place for the sole of his feet to find rest.

And it causes a stir just like those waters within my spirit.

The heavenly dove... the one Jesus speaks of resting upon Him following His baptism in water (Matt 3:16)... represents the Holy Spirit. And the Word tells us that the dove... remained on the shoulder of Jesus.

Why?

Because He found a safe resting place upon Jesus.

And I wonder... does the Spirit find a resting place upon me?

Yes, the Spirit lives IN me. Scripture tells us that if we believe in the One who was sent, we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (John 14:17).

But I heard it once spoken so eloquently: The Spirit is IN me for me... but He rests UPON me for other people.

He makes His home in me for the benefit of me. To help me live right and act right. But He only makes His home UPON me when He knows I can be trusted to carry Him well.

Having the Spirit is our "credentials" as a believer in Jesus. It's our stamp of approval. Our mark. It's what sets us apart from the rest.

And we must pay close attention to the ways in which we grieve the Spirit. The Bible tells us that we must not, "... bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live." (Eph 4:30)

The risk is too great!

When we grieve the Holy Spirit... when I cannot be trusted with His presence... I risk the loss of His presence, the depletion of my Christian joy, the loss of power given to me as my authority in Christ, and the destruction of my usefulness.

And I so I pose the question to myself often: Am I becoming an honorable habitat for the Spirit of Christ to reside in?

It really matters.