Friday, November 29, 2024
Give Thanks for the Holy Spirit
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT)
The mood of John 14 was somber. Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure. They were understandably dejected and upset. Jesus lifted their spirits with a promise: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you” (verses 16–17 NLT). In other words, hang on. Something big is coming. God’s going to send the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In the Book of Acts, we see the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise. We see the powerful working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of ordinary people just like you and me. Ordinary people were able to do extraordinary things because they possessed a power beyond themselves. They possessed the power of the Holy Spirit.
Some people say it’s really hard to be a Christian. I disagree. I say it’s impossible to live the Christian life. It’s impossible without the empowerment and help of the Holy Spirit. We need His power in our lives. We can’t live the Christian life with only our own willpower. We live it with the Holy Spirit’s power working in us. In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul says, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (NIV). So we do our part, but ultimately, it’s the Holy Spirit who does the work through us.
Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NLT). But Paul said, “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NLT). With our power and strength, we can’t overcome anything. With the Holy Spirit’s power and strength, we can do all things through Christ.
The Holy Spirit doesn’t just empower us; He also changes us. They say if you live with someone long enough, you start to take on some of their characteristics. That’s certainly true of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside all believers. His presence plants spiritual seeds in us. If we nurture them, they produce fruit for everyone to enjoy, including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities make us better servants of Christ and better people. They draw others to us and open doors for sharing our faith.
One of the amazing truths about the Holy Spirit is that we can be filled with Him again and again and again. Every morning when we wake up, before our feet even hit the floor, we can pray, “Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit today.” And He will grant our request.
We give thanks today for God’s Holy Spirit, who empowers us, guides us, produces fruit in our lives, and never leaves us.
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