The Lord’s Spirit Shall Not Always Strive with Man

Understand What it Means to Have the Lord’s Spirit to Strive with Us

And the Lord said unto Noah: My Spirit shall not always strive with man for he shall know that all flesh shall die …
~Moses 8:17 ~

And the Lord Said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he is also flesh …
~ Genesis 6:3 ~

The influence of the Holy Ghost is described in the scriptures as “a still small voice” (1 Kgs. 19:12; see also 3 Ne. 11:3) and a “voice of perfect mildness” (Hel. 5:30). Thus, the Spirit of the Lord usually communicates with us in ways that are quiet, delicate, and subtle.
~ That We May Always Have His Spirit to be with Us – David A. Bednar – April 2006 ~

In Word: There appears to be a sweet hope one finds in reading scripture. Our mortal life is a mere speck in the eternal aspect of time. A time to prepare our hearts and minds in returning to our Heavenly Father. A time to come unto Christ and follow Him. A life that is full of meaning and purpose through the infinite atonement of Jesus Christ. To this end, the Holy Spirit will strive with us until we pass from this life into the next. Only to await our time of resurrection. We are here to gain experience and increase in knowledge. To prove our devotion and loyalty to Heavenly Father by willfully submitting ourselves over to His care. Thus, to have the Lord’s Spirit strive with us means that we are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to rule over our hearts and minds. To judge us and guide us into those moral truths of our Heavenly Father. It is therefore to this end that we understand how the Holy Spirit is limited to how long it will strive with us – as we make our sojourn and pilgrimage through this mortal existence.

In Deed: All that we think. All that we do. All that we hear either draws us closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, or alienates us from His Spirit. The scripture teaches that we are to take every thought captive and into the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This is accomplished when we discipline ourselves to not only recognize the guiding light and voice of the Spirit – we also acknowledge when those things we engage in may hinder our spiritual growth and cause us to be estranged from the Holy Spirit.

And if we have grieved the Holy Spirit because of sin and transgression (Ephesians 4:30), we are to be faithful in seeking forgiveness and make sincere effort to walk through the process of repentance. Do not reject the teachings of those whom our Heavenly Father has called to administer and preach the message of the Gospel. Let us strive to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29) as we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in all things.

Take a Moment to Ponder: When we take upon ourselves the name of Christ we are striving to see as our Heavenly Father sees us and others. We also are committed to doing the works of God by living out the two great commandments. And this means we trust in Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. When was the last time you felt the promptings of the Holy Spirit? What does it mean for the Spirit to strive with you personally? How are you abiding in Christ and striving to live the principle truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?