In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. (Gen. 1:1-2)

One day, I was hiking down a forest trail when I was startled by a shadow. As it shot past me, I glanced up and saw a stealthy bird glide down the same trail twenty feet above my head. The Goshawk was silent as the air and not a feather moved. How easily I could have missed it.

The Spirit of God is like that bird. He comes with no fanfare, fiesta or fireworks. He needs no publicity campaign or press releases. With the silent confidence of One who knows He is God, He does His part. At creation, He hovered over the formless world; part of the all-present and all-powerful Trinity.

God is spirit, so we can’t see Him, but His activity makes an impression. If we are to notice the Holy Spirit at work, we must be alert to His silent shadow—signs of His action, the direction of His moving, and His still small voice. We become more alert as we grow in relationship with God.