Holy Spirit
“Only the holy spirit, the spirit of the Lord, can transform us.” —Joseph Prince
“Only the holy spirit, the spirit of the Lord, can transform us.” —Joseph Prince
Many of us who have been rejected begin our journey with YHWH longing to understand and experience His love. As we walk with Him, as we invite Him into the deeper places, His love becomes more of a reality. Still, even after healing begins, something in us may hesitate to receive that love fully. Not because we are broken in the way we once were, but because we are still learning what it means to remain—settled, grounded, and at home in His presence.
This is where the Holy Spirit steps in. Not as a distant mystery, but as the nearness of YHWH Himself.
For years, I believed in God’s love and even caught glimpses of it—light shining through the pane of glass. The glass isn’t the same now; it has been cleaned, tended, and softened. But it’s still a barrier of sorts, a thin layer of self-protection shaped by years of surviving without tenderness. And yet, even now, even here, the Spirit continues to draw closer, not to expose my weakness but to deepen my capacity to receive.
If you’ve ever felt disconnected from YHWH’s love—like you can’t feel what others seem to feel—know this: nothing is wrong with you. Your heart has simply learned to protect itself. The Spirit knows how to reach the parts of you that even you can’t access.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
We can answer with theology—Comforter, Helper, Counselor. We can quote Yeshua’s promise: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16–17 NIV). But knowing His titles is different from recognizing His presence in the quiet places of our own hearts.
The Spirit does now what He has always done. Genesis says the Spirit of YHWH hovered over the waters—over emptiness, over formlessness, over places waiting for life (Genesis 1:2). He hovers still. He moves over the parts of our hearts that have healed and the parts still taking shape. His work is not rushed. His love is not distant. He draws near in both strength and tenderness.
When we experience rejection in our early years, our hearts adapt for survival. We learn to hide the most vulnerable parts of ourselves, protecting them from pain. But in that protection, we also shut out love. We grow into adults who can believe in YHWH’s love but not feel it.
The Spirit’s role is to heal that disconnection—to soften what has been hardened and to reveal YHWH’s love in the places where we’ve walled ourselves off. He makes YHWH’s love tangible. What we once viewed from a distance, we begin to experience. What once felt like a concept becomes something we sense with our whole being.
And yet, many of us are still learning how to step closer. Not because we fear love as we once did, but because love this abundant feels weighty. It feels like surrender. The Spirit is the One who gently leads us into that nearness, helping us lean into the flow instead of standing behind the rail.
The Spirit does now what He has always done.
Over time, I’ve learned that the Spirit doesn’t pressure us to break the remaining glass—He warms it. He breathes on it from the inside. He shows us how to trust the Father’s love in deeper ways than we knew before. The healing is no longer about survival; it’s about abiding. It’s about living at ease in love that once felt impossible.
Yeshua said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” (John 15:9 ESV). Abiding requires presence. And presence is what the Holy Spirit provides. He brings us back when our minds wander. He steadies us when old patterns pull. He whispers hope when memories try to cast shadows. He guides us “into all the truth” (John 16:13 ESV)—not just the truth about YHWH, but the truth about how loved we are.
The Holy Spirit is YHWH’s love made present. He helps us move from knowing to abiding, from glimpsing to receiving, from stepping close to living soaked in the mist of God’s affection.
And as we remain, love becomes less something we reach for and more something we rest in. The falls don’t diminish. The water doesn’t slow. The Spirit invites us to stand there—heart open, soul awake—letting the fullness of God’s love wash over us again and again.
Scripture paints the Spirit’s work as gentle and powerful all at once. He comes as breath (John 20:22), as wind (Acts 2:2), as fire (Acts 2:3), as living water flowing from within (John 7:38–39). He is the One who reminds us of everything Yeshua taught (John 14:26), who intercedes for us when we don’t have words (Romans 8:26), who testifies to our spirits that we are God’s children (Romans 8:16). Every description points to this truth: He does not merely inform us of YHWH’s love—He imparts it.
In John 14:16 (NIV), Yeshua described the Spirit as an advocate. The word advocate means helper, comforter, and one who stands beside. Yeshua knew our hearts would need healing. He knew the trauma of rejection, the ache of abandonment, the sting of being misunderstood. He sent the Holy Spirit to hover over us in those very wounds.
The Spirit doesn’t merely comfort us; He re-teaches us how to love and be loved. He restores what rejection tried to erase.
Paul wrote that “ . . . God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5b ESV). I used to imagine that as a gentle flow, a quiet stream. But the more the Spirit heals, the more that picture changes. His love is not a trickle—it is an outpouring. It is more like Niagara Falls: the unrelenting rush of water, the sound that shakes the air, the mist that settles on your skin and wakes your senses. When you stand before the falls, you don’t simply observe; you feel it. The power moves through you.
But many of us approach YHWH like tourists at a distance, standing safely behind the rail, admiring the view but afraid to step closer. The roar of His love feels too powerful, too uncontrollable. The Spirit’s invitation, however, is not to observe but to enter in—to move beyond the barrier and stand in the mist of His love.
What keeps you standing back? What childhood messages still tell you that love will drown you, that it’s safer to stay dry behind the glass?
The Holy Spirit is YHWH’s love made present. He helps us move from knowing to experiencing, from observing to receiving, from rejected to loved.
The more I walk with Him, the more I see that the Spirit’s work is not merely to comfort injury—it’s to cultivate intimacy. He takes the love we’ve discovered in YHWH and deepens it until it becomes the atmosphere we breathe. He teaches us to stay. To sit. To linger. To cease striving. To trust the One who loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).
Yeshua told us to abide in His love. Abiding is spiritual work—Spirit-enabled, Spirit-sustained. The Holy Spirit helps us recognize the Father’s affection in daily life, helps us return when fear nudges us away, helps us rest instead of brace, receive instead of analyze.
He guides us into all truth (John 16:13), and that truth is not abstract. It is personal. It is the truth that we are chosen (Ephesians 1:4), beloved (1 John 3:1), held (Psalm 139:10), and never abandoned (Deuteronomy 31:6).
The Spirit is the steady presence reminding us that we belong. That YHWH delights in us. That love is not fleeting. That we are safe to draw near.
As healing continues, the question is no longer, Why can’t I feel His love? Instead, it becomes, How deeply am I willing to receive? How close am I willing to stand? What would it mean to live daily in the mist, not the margins?
The Holy Spirit is YHWH’s love made palpable—inviting, enveloping, ever-near. The One who brings us from discovery into dwelling, from hunger into fullness, from distance into abiding. The One who stands with us at the edge of the waterfall and gently says, “Come closer. There is more.”
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, thank You for being the nearness of YHWH’s love in my daily life. Teach me to remain, to dwell, to rest in the love that You pour into my heart. Warm every place that still hesitates, and draw me deeper into trust. Let the presence of the Father become as real to me as the mist of a waterfall—constant, awakening, and impossible to ignore. Guide me into all truth, especially the truth of how deeply I am loved. Let Your presence be the atmosphere I breathe and the home where my heart finally settles.
Application:
Set aside ten unhurried minutes today to sit in silence with the Holy Spirit. Place your hand over your heart and take a slow breath, asking Him to make you aware of His nearness. Don’t strive to feel anything—simply invite Him to help you remain in YHWH’s love. Read John 15:9 aloud, slowly, letting each word settle in you. As you sit, pay attention to any sense of warmth, peace, or gentle reassurance. End your time by thanking the Spirit for being the One who helps you dwell in the Father’s love moment by moment.
Journal prompt:
Write about a recent moment when you became aware—however subtly—of the Holy Spirit’s presence. What were you doing? What shifted inside you? Reflect on how the Spirit is helping you abide in YHWH’s love in this season of your journey. Are there places within you that feel more open or at rest than they once did? Describe what abiding in His love looks and feels like for you today.
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this post, will you consider buying me a coffee to fuel my writing?
To read more about healing from early childhood rejection in this series, click on the links: Introduction, Distrust, Worthlessness, Loneliness, Depression, Hopelessness, Anxiety, Fear, Anger, Grief, Unforgiveness, Love Oneself, ‘aheb, hesed, racham, Hosea, Messiah, Agapaó, Apostle John
This is so good, Liz. I'm soaking in every word🙏🏾
Love this Liz! Just what I needed today x