Holy Spirit Within: Trusting God in Unexpected Places
We recently moved into our new home—a core memory in the making for nearly two years. It all began when we decided to sell the house we owned, move into a rental, and start preparing the property we had purchased for what we hoped would be our “forever home.”
We naively assumed a six-month timeline, bolstered by the quick sales and incredible sale prices we’d seen during the housing boom of the pandemic. But we were riding a wave that had already begun to collapse, and instead of moving into our new dream home within six months, we were barely accepting our first–and only–offer five long months later.
After the offer was accepted, we had high hopes of moving forward and being in by spring, but spring came and went, and we still had not closed on our house.
Nine months and twelve brutal days of waiting later, we finally, miraculously closed on our house.
The stress we felt during that unexpectedly long waiting period was intense–our mental and emotional well-being battered and bruised by the end.
I found myself living in a rented, old farmhouse I never expected to call home. While it always felt temporary, the home and property it sat on began to grow roots in my heart.
My daughter took her first steps while we lived there and celebrated her first birthday within the walls of that home. We celebrated Christmas, birthdays, Jack’s first day of kindergarten, brought our first family dog home there, and created memories in all seasons as we temporarily called it home.
But most unexpected of all was how the Lord met me there, inviting me to walk with Him in a way I never had before.
In our previous home, right off the highway, I never went out walking. But here, in this new place, tucked between open fields and tall pine trees, down a long gravel driveway that met a quiet country road, I began to walk.
I walked in the evenings at the end of a long day, and I walked on quiet Saturday mornings when my family still slept. I walked to find some time for myself, but what I was quick to find was time with my Lord and Savior, who then became my friend.
During these walks, I began to hear and feel His voice, unlike anything I had experienced before. My walks became worship and a way to pour my heart and soul out to Him. He heard all about my frustrations and the stress I felt lifted as I walked and talked with Him.
During these walks, I began to formulate my vision for the book I would write and publish while living in that temporary home–a book I most likely never would have written if things had gone according to our plans.
The days, weeks, and months came and went, and eventually, our unexpected season of waiting came to an end. But what was most unexpected of all was how beautifully Jesus met me in the chaos of uncertainty, in the stress and mess of what I thought was unravelling just because it wasn’t going according to my plan.
And yet, what He did in those days, those unexpected and painfully stressful days, was draw nearer to me in a way that has forever changed me–heart and soul.
In the last days of living at the old, rented farmhouse, I took a last long walk through the fields, saying goodbye to long gravel driveway and row of old pines, friends of mine that had found a place in my heart.
And I was grateful for the unexpected places and ways that Jesus drew me to Him, igniting a fire in my soul that illuminated a truth and promise He’d made long ago–that His spirit dwells within me.
He is with me, always.
The Holy Spirit Within Us
God’s promises to be with us predate Pentecost—woven throughout the Old Testament is a steady rhythm of His nearness.
From the moment He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, to the cloud and fire that led the Israelites, to the glory that filled the tabernacle and temple, God has always made His desire to dwell with His people known.
But even then, those were glimpses—shadows of something deeper to come. Through the prophets, He spoke of a day when His Spirit would no longer reside in tents or temples, but within human hearts.
A day when His presence would not only walk beside us but live inside us.
And then came Pentecost, the incredible event when the Spirit of God was no longer confined to a temple or a chosen few but was poured out on all believers.
In that upper room, the promise Jesus had made was fulfilled—“He will be in you.” Tongues of fire rested on each of them, and the wind of heaven filled the space, marking the moment when God’s dwelling place shifted once and for all to the hearts of His people (Acts 2:1-4).
No longer would God’s presence be distant or external.
At Pentecost, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit became the new reality for every follower of Christ—a personal, permanent, and powerful gift.
The Holy Spirit Changing Us
I imagine prison isn't typically a place where you’d expect to hear joyful singing echoing through the corridors.
But after Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into jail—punished for nothing more than stirring up trouble as Jews preaching the gospel—they did the unexpected. Instead of despair, they lifted their voices in prayer and praise, filling the prison with worship. Their songs must have stunned the other inmates—hope and joy ringing out from the darkness, right in the middle of their chains.
Paul had a life-changing encounter with Jesus—one that turned him from a fierce persecutor of Christians into one of the most passionate proclaimers of the gospel. On the road to Damascus, Paul was literally stopped in his tracks by the risen Christ, blinded by His glory and called by name. From that moment forward, Paul’s life was marked by boldness, surrender, and a deep awareness of the presence of God—no matter where he was, even in a prison cell.
What I love about Paul and his story is the picture it paints for us all–that no matter our past we can believe and be changed, redeemed and set free. And it isn’t us that does the changing, redeeming or freeing, it’s God and His Spirit dwelling within us, creating in us a new heart–one that sings for joy among the direst of days.
It’s His presence that changes us.
It’s His Spirit who becomes the whisper in the wind, the voice in the stillness, the gentle tug on our heart when we need comfort, conviction, or direction. He speaks in ways that are often quiet but unmistakable—reminding us we’re not alone, guiding us back to truth, and drawing us closer to the heart of the Father.
I hope that as you walk with Him, you feel Him more closely, sense Him more deeply and find joy, peace, hope, comfort and strength as His Spirit dwells within you.
My friend, He is with you, always.
Reflect
Take a few quiet moments to reflect on your own journey:
Where have you seen God show up in unexpected places?
What season of life—perhaps marked by waiting, uncertainty, or struggle—has revealed His nearness to you?
How have you experienced the gentle leading, comforting presence, or quiet conviction of the Holy Spirit?
Maybe you, too, have walked through what felt like a temporary place—an in-between season that didn’t go as planned. And yet, just like my walks down a quiet country road, perhaps God has been meeting you right where you are, reshaping your heart and drawing you closer than ever before.
God’s Spirit doesn’t just visit—He dwells.
And because He dwells, you are never alone, never without guidance, never without hope. He is with you in every delay, every disappointment, every joy, and every ordinary moment.
Pray
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being with me through every twist and turn of this journey. Thank You for walking beside me when I didn’t know the way, for whispering peace when I was filled with doubt, and for staying near when I felt most alone.
Thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit—alive and at work within me. Help me to lean into Your presence, to trust You more deeply, and to recognize Your nearness even in the waiting.
I open my heart again to You today. Dwell in me, Lord. Shape me, guide me, strengthen me. Teach me to hear Your voice in the stillness and follow where You lead. Let my life be a reflection of Your love and power, even in the simple, unexpected places.
You are my steady place, my peace, my friend, my God.
You are with me—always.
In the precious and holy name of Jesus, Amen.