I believe we find a similar attribute in the Holy Spirit. He will not engage us unless we first position ourselves to hear His voice. If we do not engage with Him, He often remains quiet. Remember, James said God draws near to us when we draw near to Him. We are responsible for taking the first step. We have to intentionally enter into this awesome communion with Him. Put simply, the greatest invitation of all time has been extended to you. Now it is up to you to take action.

This truth is unknown to many believers. For this reason I often hear comments like, “Why isn’t God talking to me?” or, “God hasn’t spoken to me in years.” Well, are these individuals pursuing communion with God as the Bible outlines we should? If we want to be close to God, we must seek to know Him—and this means we pursue friendship with the Person of His Spirit.

I encourage you to actively pursue communion with the Holy Spirit. You will be amazed by how He responds. Like many of my drivers, He will remain in your company whether you interact with Him or not because He has promised to never leave or forsake you (see Hebrews 13:5). But if you don’t engage Him, He will generally remain silent, and you will never enjoy the full expression of His presence in your life or the benefits of communion with Him.

The Deep Things of God

Let’s take another look at John 16:

There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, “The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.” (John 16:12-15 NLT)

This statement came during some of Jesus’ final moments with His disciples before His crucifixion; a little later that evening Jesus was arrested by Roman officers and led away to be condemned to death. Clearly this was a moment deserving of weighty words.

Notice that Jesus says, “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now” (verse 12). Jesus was everything to these men. They had been with Him for years. Each one had left family, friends, and vocation to follow Him. The disciples were probably thinking, What in the world do we need to do to get the full picture? But then Jesus made an extraordinary promise: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth” (verse 13). In other words, “Even though I am present with you now (in the flesh), you are not in a position to receive everything I have to give. But I am sending you the Holy Spirit, and He will speak My words, reveal My will, and prepare you for what is to come.” What a promise! Recall Jesus’ previous words from that same evening: