Just had a conversation with @Suzy about how we know it’s the Spirit and not emotion, the culture (The Zeitgeist), or a false spirit. More and more I’m coming to understand that TORAH — lit. instruction, but also teaching, and law — is the corresponding partner of Spirit rather than emotion.

It shouldn’t surprise us:

• The renewal of the Spirit (being born again) in the Old Testament is strongly associated with torah (Ezekiel 11:19-20, 36:24-28, Jeremiah 32:37-41).
• The Spirit fell on the Church at Shavuot (Pentecost), the celebration of the giving of the Torah.
• When Jesus talks about spiritual realities, they often relate to following his or his Father’s instructions and commands (Mt 7:13-27; 12:50, John 15)

“For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I
will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you.
I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you
a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. You will keep my ordinances and do them. 28 You will dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. You will be my people, and I will be your God. (Ezekiel 36:24-28 WEB)

I had a long conversation with some dear friends yesterday. We’re in a space where discerning the direction of the Spirit is very difficult. We fear we may have failed in some important ways. People are telling us they’re hurt, disappointed, and maybe even disgusted. We’re not feeling great because we don’t feel seen and appreciated. Therefore we’re left in this mess and can’t see what the Spirit is doing.

But the Torah of Yehovah and Yeshua cuts through all that. By his instruction, we can see where we really are, how what we’ve done does or does not compare to God’s character, and how we should be feeling in the midst of all other feelings.