Prompted

 Most of us have never heard what we would consider a direct command from the Holy Spirit, or have we? The Holy Spirit communicate with us sometimes by causing us to realize something needs to happen about an unfolding situation, and we only need the courage to follow through. A woman told a story in Bible class one morning about seeing a man standing near the edge of an overpass with a distraught and confused look on his face. She remembered several news presentations she had seen about the struggles of those who had jumped while trying to commit suicide and survived; concern for this man caused her to pull over and walk back to speak to the man. A slender woman approaching a man who was likely suicidal - perhaps not the best choice for personal safety. However, she was able to talk with him and convince him not to jump until police arrived. The police detained him and this action saved his physical life. A part of their conversation was about how to please God and he said he was a believer. Her story reminds me of a similar event thousands of years ago. "Then the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go up and join this chariot.'" - Acts 8:29 (NASB) Like this woman, Phillip could have said, "No," but he did not. The result was the Holy Spirit used Phillip to provide a greater understanding and a relationship with Jesus. So far as I know, the man on the overpass has not yet become a Christian, but he now has an opportunity to make the decision to follow Jesus. Sometimes we don't ask the Holy Spirit to lead us, other times we don't recognize His prodding, but sadly, we often say "no" to His prompting. We must desire His guidance and then have courage to follow our understanding.