Trusting in the Holy Spirit 

By Julian Berkeley

Remember those bright, snowy days a little while back – distant memory now! The Ennerdale fells glowed beautifully in the sunshine and, for a keen fellwalker, beckoned you to come and play. It was on one of these magical days that I was walking up Crag Fell, my snow spikes wrapped around my boots, the crust of ice over the snow crunching under each footfall, that I was pondering the work of the Holy Spirit.
 
You see, those spikes are amazing! I have learned to trust them 

completely, even in the slipperiest of conditions. Of course, that took some doing – it was only with experience that I discovered that they wouldn’t let me down, that I wouldn’t slip and fall. Indeed, they’ve even been know to support others too: one memorable day, descending from Helvellyn, I came across a great bank of compacted snow, on a very steep slope, through which the path ran. A young man was stuck, halfway across, unable to go forward or back, and his mum was stuck on the path, beside herself with worry. With those snow spikes, I was able to help them both across the treacherous slope to safety.
 
So, how does the Holy Spirit fit into this scenario? Well, in our Christian journey, walking with the Holy Spirit, it’s only through experience that we learn to trust Him. Romans 8:26 tells us that “the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.” Let’s face it, life seems to be one slippery slope of disasters waiting to happen! Whether in our work, our home life, our downtime, temptation is all around, we’re faced with tasks that we don’t feel up to; but ... trusting the Holy Spirit to guide and encourage us enables us to navigate those tricky situations with confidence. I mentioned that I have learned to trust those snow spikes – well, I’ve also learned that the Holy Spirit “will not your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber.” (Psalm 121:3). As I said, it’s only through the experience of those difficult situations, knowing that I don’t have what it takes to handle them, but God does, that I have come to understand that I can lean on the Holy Spirit 100%, and He isn’t going to let me down. What a measure of peace that brings! And He’s there for each one of us, no matter what the situation, the trauma, the worry – and He isn’t going to let us down.