Job 4:15

"Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:"

This is the friend of Job, Eliphaz, speaking. He is referring in this section of verses to fear of dreams and things in the night season. In the previous verse, verse 14, he describes his fear and trembling. Then a spirit passed before my face - he is not talking about the Holy Spirit, but a goul or ghost; What shall we say of such things? 'Things that go bump in the night'. Are they in our imaginations or do spirits exist? We already know that which is declared and revealed about this world and the world to come. We would have the Holy Spirit always active in and around our life, for that brings us comfort and peace. But when the Spirit of God is quenched and grieved, we repel Him and open the door for spirits to come in. How many accounts are mentioned in the Gospels of demonic possession? Do we not understand still today that demons are active in this world? It was not just in the Bible, but is present right now with us. Too many false descriptions, movies and man's imaginations running wild, explain away a lot of the spiritual world truths. Too many scientist, psychologist and others that seek to explain away the spiritaul things. But they are there, and they are active in this world. How would you respond if your eyes had see when Daniel's angel was withstood by the Prince of Persia, demon, and Michael came and fought with them. That battle would be fierce and scary. In some ways we wish we could see the spriitual world and then other times, hold my eyes from beholding the horros of hell. Now I would like to refer to this first part of this verse in the sense,not of ghosts, but of the Holy Spirit. For do we not desire for the Holy Spirit to come and pass before us in all our ways? what wonder for him to visit us and be with us. This is what the church and every Christian should be seeking for the Spirit to be present. But it amazes me the desire for most is to just go through the motions and never regard if He is there or not. We must be sensitive to that, for this is what grieves Him. LEt us check our true intentions and desires whether they are for His glory or ours. The hair of my flesh stood up - the physical body changed because of the event; The events of life change our bodies out of responding to the case. Tears, signs, ulcers, stress, fatigue all effect the physical body to make us change what is the normal way. How people respond to experiences makes the differnce. Some people adjust better and are able to cope and deal without eratic behavior in the physcial body. Others go off the deep end and drastic changes occur. Settled in the Lord keeps a Christian stable, full of joy and at peace. Look at moments in your life, what raised the hair on your flesh? Was it fear? terror? anguish? anger? The extremem emotions will do it, but where then is our anchor in the Lord. 'Lord, we perish. And He arose and spoke a word and calmed the sea and the wind.' They were in fear, He was in control. To remember that Christ is in control and will take us and lead us is based on our faith in Him. But what of the Holy Spirit when He passes by in the body of Christ and the hair of our flesh stands up? There has been nothing of emotion, it is all of the Spirit. 'In His Presence', the change effects us, not of emotional tirade but of reality of the given moment. And how much is missed when we do not see it as such. 'If any of you ask the Father He will give the Spirit in answer to our prayers.' then let us ask and receive.