"Wind-Born"

Jesus spoke to Nic at night,

And to his darkness brought the light,

Said you don’t understand it right,

You must be born again.

How, asked he, could that be true,

What’s someone old like me to do,

Can’t go back, this much he knew,

A new birth, how and when?

But Jesus pointed to the wind,

The Spirit’s work was like that then,

Where it goes and where it’s been,

No one can fully know.

But God will come and bring to you,

And by His Spirit born anew,

A new beginning through and through,

And from that you will grow.

Be open to the Spirit’s move,

He brings the Word, God’s grace to prove,

A new creation and on that you’ve,

Always known could be.

To teach us we belong to Him,

Saves from our sentence grim,

Fills our lives up to the brim,

We’re finally set free.

“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3, NLT)

Jesus met with the Pharisee, Nicodemus, known as Israel’s teacher. What a surprise when Jesus instructed him that all his theological understanding was for naught unless He received a new birth from the Spirit of God. Unlike the study of the Law, which was line by line and memorized exactly and meticulously, the new birth was as mysterious as the wind which blew randomly through the trees. The miracle of the new birth could not be reduced to a religious formula, set of emotions, or duplicated in detail person to person. The Holy Spirit would move uniquely upon the human soul to give to them what they can never earn nor fully understand. It is a miracle when someone is born anew, and God alone us the author of it. The hungry heart receives what cannot otherwise be experienced. And that is the best news on earth!

Lord, help us experience, celebrate and share the new birth with others, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Jack Sorenson, jacksorensonfineart.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Jack, and God bless you.