After The Shimmer

Devotional

After The Shimmer

“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” — Ephesians 1:13 (KJV)

What happens after a person comes to Christ? What begins when the struggle of coming to faith gives way to the quiet realization that something has changed?

Scripture gives us an answer far greater than an emotional experience. At conversion, the believer receives the indwelling Holy Spirit. God does not merely forgive the sinner and leave that person to discover how to live the Christian life alone. He gives His Spirit, who begins and continues the work of spiritual transformation.

Ephesians 1:13 establishes the relationship between believing and receiving the Holy Spirit: “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” Romans 8:9 makes the relationship even more explicit: “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” The indwelling Holy Spirit is not an additional blessing reserved for a later stage of spiritual maturity. His presence belongs to every person who truly belongs to Christ.

First Corinthians 12:13 reinforces this truth: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.” And 1 Corinthians 6:19 describes the believer’s body as “the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you.” These passages establish that the Holy Spirit’s indwelling is part of the believer’s new life in Christ, not a reward for achieving spiritual readiness.

The song, After The Shimmer, begins in the stillness following a storm. The conflict has passed, and the believer becomes increasingly aware of God’s presence. This is a creative portrayal of the beginning of life after conversion. The quiet, the warmth, and the peace are expressions of the song’s imagery, not requirements for an authentic salvation experience. Scripture, rather than the presence or absence of particular feelings, establishes what God has accomplished.

The Holy Spirit’s work does not end with His indwelling. Titus 3:5 speaks of “the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Second Corinthians 3:18 describes believers being changed “from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” This is the continuing work of sanctification: the Spirit transforming the believer’s character, understanding, desires, and conduct toward greater conformity to Christ.

The song describes a voice breaking down a wall and truth finding its way into a previously closed heart. Scripture helps us understand that spiritual change is not simply a matter of becoming more emotionally receptive. The Spirit illuminates God’s truth, while the written Word remains the standard by which every spiritual impression must be tested. Jesus promised that the Spirit would “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13), and 1 John 4:1 instructs believers to “try the spirits whether they are of God.” The Holy Spirit never leads us contrary to the Word He inspired.

As the song continues, confidence grows, questions begin to settle, and surrender replaces resistance. This does not mean that a Spirit-filled believer will never experience uncertainty or pain. Rather, the Spirit works within the believer even through those difficulties. Romans 8:26 reminds us that “the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities.” His presence is not dependent upon our strength, and His work continues when our understanding is incomplete.

Then the song reaches its turning point: “This is not the ending, not at all. This is the beginning of me heeding His call.”

Here the purpose of the Spirit’s transforming work becomes increasingly apparent. Salvation is entirely by God’s grace, but the new life He gives is intended to bear fruit. Ephesians 2:10 declares that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Notice the order. Good works do not produce salvation. Salvation produces a new life in which good works have their proper place. The believer is God’s workmanship, and the Holy Spirit is actively preparing that person to live according to God’s purposes.

Philippians 2:13 brings this relationship into focus: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” God works not only upon our actions but also upon our willingness. He shapes the heart that serves, not merely the hands that perform the service.

The Spirit also equips believers with gifts intended for the benefit of others. First Corinthians 12:4–7 teaches that there are different gifts and ministries, yet the same Spirit is at work, giving “the manifestation of the Spirit ... to every man to profit withal.” First Peter 4:10 calls believers to use the gifts they have received in service to one another, as “good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

This preparation may not be immediately obvious. It can take place through the ordinary disciplines of Christian life: studying Scripture, prayer, obedience, correction, patience, and opportunities to love others. Spiritual maturity develops as believers yield to the Spirit’s work and learn to walk according to His direction.

The final verse of After The Shimmer brings that preparation into view through writing and music. Words begin to flow, and songs begin to fly. Within the creative story, these become an expression of a believer beginning to use an entrusted gift in service to God.

Yet the application is much broader than music. One believer may teach, another encourage, another care for those in need. Some gifts are highly visible; others operate quietly and faithfully, far from public attention. What matters is not the prominence of the gift but the faithfulness with which it is exercised.

Galatians 5:22–23 reminds us that the Spirit’s work also produces fruit in the believer’s character: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Before we become concerned with what we accomplish, we should recognize what God is making of us. The character of the servant matters as much as the service.

The song ends with trust. The believer does not yet understand everything that lies ahead, but has begun to recognize that the new life is not meant to remain still.

The shimmer was never the destination. Conversion opened the door to a life in which the Holy Spirit dwells, transforms, prepares, and equips the believer to serve.

The wonder is not merely that God has saved us, but that He continues His work within us, preparing us for the good works He has already prepared for us.

And that work begins the moment we belong to Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the salvation You have provided through Jesus Christ and for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, who comes to dwell within every believer. Thank You that You do not leave us to grow or serve in our own strength. Renew my mind through Your Word, transform my heart, and teach me to recognize and yield to the work of Your Spirit. Prepare me for the good works You have ordained, and help me use whatever gifts You have entrusted to me with humility, faithfulness, and love. May the fruit of Your Spirit be evident in my life, and may everything I do bring glory to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.