Our Divine “Convincer”

Have you ever been in a situation where you tried to convince someone of something, but no matter what you did or said, you simply had no success? If so, I know how you feel, and I have some good news for you. The Bible says that it’s one of the Holy Spirit’s jobs to “convict and convince” others of the truth. (John 16:8 AMP ) We know that this refers mainly to the Spirit of God’s dealing with people about the sin in their life, and their need for God. But I’ve discovered that, even in small matters, we can ask the Lord to speak to someone on our behalf through His Spirit.

For example, for many months, the hot water supply in our house was steadily dwindling. I noticed it right away, but unfortunately, my husband, Joe, didn’t. When I kept running out of hot water when I was showering, my pleas became more urgent, but Joe still wasn’t convinced that we needed to take action in the matter. Finally, I asked the Lord to convince Joe through His Spirit that something needed to be done, even if it meant him taking a good, cold shower.

The next day, I found out that my husband had begun doing some research on the latest water heaters, and I was overjoyed. Today, we have more than enough hot water for our needs, and I thank God that He intervened on my behalf and did the convincing that I could never do. Aren’t you glad that you and I don’t have to rely on our own inadequate resources when someone we know needs convicting or convincing?