What do you do when the Spirit speaks to you?  Do you talk back?  Do you determine that you are not going to do what He tells you to do, but, instead, do whatever you want to do?  Or, do you listen and obey?  The Spirit spoke to Paul once, and notice what he did.

Acts 16:6-8 (ESV)
⁶  And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. ⁷  And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. ⁸  So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

How did Paul respond to the Spirit?  He put away what he wanted to do and obeyed the Spirit of Jesus.  Paul was not the only one who did what the Spirit told him to do.  When the Spirit told Philip to go and join a chariot that was carrying an Ethiopian eunuch, he not only went, he ran to him (Acts 8:29-30).

Today, the Spirit does not speak to us directly as He did Paul and Philip, but He speaks to us nevertheless.  He does so through the written Word of God.  The Word of the Spirit is just as authoritative whether it is spoken or written, and when we hear it, we are faced with the same decision that Paul and Philip faced—comply with it or do what we want.

When it comes to the Word of God, revealed to us by the Spirit, we need to follow the exhortation of James and be quick to hear, and slow to speak.  Hearing, however, is not enough; we must submit to the instructions that He gives us.  It does not matter if we like them or not.  The truth is, when God gives us a command, our feelings do not even enter into the equation.  Does anyone think that before God commands man to do something, He first asks Himself, “I wonder if man will be okay with this?”  It would be ridiculous to even think such a thing.  Yet, too often, we act as if our feelings about a command matters.  If we do not like it, we just do not do it, and somehow feel justified in our disobedience.

When the Spirit says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…” (Hebrews 10:24), do you submit or do what you want?  Remember, partial obedience is not obedience at all.  Attending one service while forsaking others is to say to the Spirit, “I will not comply.”

When the Spirit reveals to us the words of Jesus when He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19), do you comply, or say, “I think I will leave that to other brethren?”

When the Spirit speaks to you through the written Word of God, saying of an unfaithful brother in Christ, (no matter who that brother might be), “Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person” (1 Corinthians 5:13), do you listen, or turn a deaf ear?

When a brother sins against you and then repents of it, will you listen to the words of the Spirit and forgive (Ephesians 4:32), or be too stubborn to submit to His instructions?

When the Spirit speaks, do not argue, just Shhh, listen, and then comply.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.