Today’s 333 Devotional: “The Holy Spirit Brood”

The Holy Spirit brings order from out of the darkness and chaos of our lives.

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:2)

God had spoken the words of creation, but not everything was in order. The earth was still formless and empty, in other words confusion reigned. And it was over this mess the Holy Spirit, the “Ruah,” the breath of God, was hovering.

More literally it says the Holy Spirit was “brooding” over the earth as a bird spreading its wings over its nest caring for its young. Moses used this same word describing God’s care for Israel while they wandered in the wilderness.

“He found him (Jacob) in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the Lord alone led him.” (Deuteronomy 32:10-12a)

In the same manner the Holy Spirit broods and hovers over us to bring us into maturity, to bring us out of the wilderness of our infancy, to bring us out of the wilderness of our wanderings and into God’s Promised Land, into God’s perfect plan, into God’s created destiny.

Jesus’ promise for us is that He would not leave us alone, but would send another just like Himself, the Holy Spirit to lead us.

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13)

Believers are the Holy Spirit’s brood. Therefore let’s allow Him to hover and lead us out of the confusion and into the light of God’s promises.