WALKING IN TUNE WITH THE SPIRIT CAN LEAD YOU INTO TRIALS

Following the guidance of the Spirit can lead you into trouble, trials, temptation, gains, success, great benefits and so on. First of all, understand that 'walking with God' is a journey of spiritual empowerment. It's also an adventure, full of spiritual experiences and encounters, designed for your spiritual growth.

In this journey, the Spirit of God teaches you all things, by leading you into diverse circumstances and encounters, in order to groom you for higher purpose in God. Let's find out how Jesus was led by the Spirit in the verse below.

Reference: Matthew 4:1 New Living Translation (NLT)

'Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.'

This leading was on purpose. The Spirit of God compelled Jesus to be tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Jesus did not even plan it; He was led into it. By this we can understand that Jesus was led and guided by the Holy Spirit in both good times and bad times. When you face challenging times, it does not mean that the Holy Spirit has taken a leave of absence from your life or has gone for a vacation.

Just as Jesus went to face temptation in the wilderness immediately after His baptism, you can agree with me that many a time, shortly after a wonderful major spiritual experience, a deepened prayer session, or a quality time of devotion, you tend to experience severe trials and challenging encounters that make you wonder, 'have I really been with God?'

Yes this is a reality most of the time, but the unpleasant encounters do not mean the Holy Spirit has abandoned you. Instead, it means that the impact of your prayers and devotion to God was hugely felt in the spirit realm. You made progress, rose to a spiritual crescendo, and caused spiritual havoc to the Kingdom of darkness; you hit the enemy where it affected him the most and so, the Spirit of God goes with you to lead you through time of trial, testing, and temptation by the same enemy you dealt with, in order to exercise your superiority in reality.

The enemy will always try to react to your prayers and spiritual progress with attacks and fiery darts, but you can rest assured that the Holy Spirit will always take what Satan intends for your harm and turn it into a brand of spiritual enhancement that will strengthen your faith and grant you notable maturity in your Christian walk, as long as you follow His guidance.

2 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT) reads, 'But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal procession.' To the Holy Spirit, you are a captive of His guidance. In other words, you have no right to determine how or where He leads you. You are chained up in His 'automated triumphal' leading process. So as a child of God, what do you do when the Holy Spirit leads you into diverse trials and temptation? Drop your pleasurable lines of thanksgiving to God for granting you the victory, even in the midst of the trials or spiritual encounters, because it will end in your favour, if you remain led by the Spirit.

Scripture Reading - Mark 1:12; 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:2-4; 1 John 5:4.

Exuberant Declaration:

I'm grateful to God for giving me the courage to believe in the Holy Spirit and to follow His leading and guidance at all times. I am never without direction and purpose because Allos Parakletos determines the route I walk in, and uses all the events in my life to bring me into a place of maturity in Christ. I'm forever settled in the realm of victory and I thank God for it because in Christ, He leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade and unending glory. Hallelujah!