Standin’ Tall
Well, my stars, now, friend, come on over here an’ ease yourself down like you’re settlin’ into a porch swing that’s been waitin’ just for you. Let all o’ that dust fall right off your shoulders ‘cause we’re ‘bout to go strollin’ into a holy truth so sturdy it could hold up a barn roof in a big ol’ Texas tornado. This here passage has settled into my spirit the way a sunrise settles over a quiet green pasture, real slow, real certain, and real full o’ promise. The Lord tells us in 1 Peter 4:14, “If you are mistreated for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” And friend, if that don’t make your heart sit up straighter than a lil’ ol’ prairie dog on lookout, I sho’ nuff’ don’t know what will.
Folks these days get mighty dazzled by science. They git to talkin’ ‘bout DNA like it’s the master key to the whole universe. And sho’ nuff’, it is impressive. It can match folks up with more accuracy than a rooster predictin’ the crack o’ dawn. But long ‘a‑fore any scientist ever swirled a sample in a test tube, God had already settled the matter of identity. Romans 8:9 says, “If the Spirit of God lives in you, then you belong to Him,” and if He doesn’t live in you, well, friend, you’re ‘bout as spiritually misplaced as a lil’ ol’ box turtle tryin’ to find his way across a trampoline.
Jesus laid this out plain as day for Nicodemus in John 3:3-6, talkin’ ‘bout bein’ born again. And that new birth ain’t no spiritual makeover. It’s the Holy Spirit movin’ right on in. Not stoppin’ by. Not borrowin’ the guest room. No siree, He moves right in. And He is the kind o’ housemate who don’t never leave the milk out or forget to turn out the lights.
But here’s where the beauty gets downright breathtakin’. Peter calls Him “the Spirit of glory.” That there means when you’re trudgin’ through trials that make you feel like a lil’ ol’ possum stuck in a rain barrel, God’s glory ain’t just near you. It is restin’ right on you. And when persecution or hardship comes knockin’ like an overly bothersome salesman, the Spirit gives you a strength that don’t come from grit. It comes straight from glory. Just like Stephen in Acts 6:15 and Acts 7:55 through 60, shinin’ like a lantern in a cave while stones flew at him. That there wasn’t human courage. That there was heaven’s radiance.
So, friend, when life treats you like the smelly ol’ skunk nobody invited to the picnic, you gotta rejoice. Not ‘cause the trouble feels good, but ‘cause the Spirit of God is restin’ on you like a warm quilt on a real cold night. You ain’t forsaken. You’re favored. You ain’t alone. You’re anointed.
Father, thank You for the Holy Spirit who lives in me. When trials come, help me remember that Your glory rests upon me. Give me strength, courage, and joy that rise above every hardship. Teach me to rejoice even when life feels heavy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Well, friend, as you rise up from this lil’ ol’ rest stop on the porch and step back into the rhythm o’ your day, tuck this truth into your pocket like a smooth river stone. The Spirit of God don’t hover ‘round you like a jittery lil’ ol’ hummingbird. He settles on you with the steady, holy weight of glory. So, when trouble rattles the windows, you ain’t standin’ there like a lonely fencepost in a storm. You’re upheld, overshadowed, and blessed. And no matter how loud this ol’ world fusses, you can walk on with joy, ‘cause heaven itself is ridin’ on your shoulders and goin’ with you every step o’ the way clear on into eternity.
With joy,
Gwen
