Influence of the Holy Spirit

 25 Oct 25

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Life Application Study Bible Devotion


Influence of the Holy Spirit

The affects of alcohol are obvious, but what happens when we are under the influence of the Holy Spirit? In these verses, Paul lists three by-products of the Spirit's influence in our lives: singing, making music, and giving thanks. Paul did not intend to suggest that believers only discuss religious matters, but that whatever we do or say should be permeated with an attitude of joy, thankfulness to God, and encouragement of others. Instead of whining and complaining-which our culture has raised to an art form-we are to focus on the goodness of God and his mercies toward us. How would others characterize your words and attitudes?


“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,”Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

—————————-

Reflections

When our hearts are filled with the love of God, tremendous changes will take place. We will be filled by the Holy Spirit, that guides and helps us to stay close to God. We will experience shalom peace, which is from the Lord. A different kind of peace that no one else can give. It is more than an inner sense of calmness and probably feels like a beautiful scene of a still lake that perfectly reflects the sky, the mountains and the vivid colours of nature. We will be filled with hope because we know who we are in Christ.


A life that is Christ-centered will speak for itself, for one will not be able to hide the kind of lightness of the heart and the joy from the spirit. One will feel content and praise the Lord for everything and be in the mode of constant worship to the Lord. However more often than not, due to the busyness of our lives and the various takes or challenges we face, we have almost forgotten all the grace and mercies that were being given to us. Even the very basic grace was taken for granted.


Lord we give You thanks and praise, for waking us up every morning, for giving us the breath in our lungs. For the shelter and the home as well as the protection that You provided for us that we are able to sleep soundly and without worries. For the food that You have blessed us with, that we never lacked. For the job that You have placed us in, teaching us to be the salt and light. For the good health that You have granted us, that enables us to do the work that You called us to do. For all the smooth traffic and travels that You bless us with, that allows us to reach our destination on time. For sending Your guardian angels to encamp around us, fighting every spiritual war for us and guarding us in all our ways, keeping us safe from harm, illnesses, pestilences, etc. For lifting our spirits when we feel low and sending fellow sisters or brothers to encourage us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are you fulfilling your priestly role by holy living?

  2 Feb 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: Exodus 29 Exodus 30 Matthew 22:1-22 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people (1 Peter 2:9).  Are you fulfilling your priestly role by holy living? Moses receives directives from the Lord to sanctify Aaron and his sons for the priesthood. The Lord says to Moses, “And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests” (Exodus 29:1). Also, God previously chose Israel as a nation to serve Him in a priestly role. “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Whether Old Testament Israel, high priest, or a member of the church-age royal priesthood, God desires His people to separate from the moral contamination of this world’s system. Peter proclaims, “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15).  Employment Point:  Live acc...
Read more

How are you responding to Jesus’ hospitality as an honored guest?

  11 Feb 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: Leviticus 13 Matthew 26:20-54 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me (Revelation 3:20). How are you responding to Jesus’ hospitality as an honored guest? The triclinium is used for the Passover meal. It consists of three couches. Guests would recline with their left hand supporting their head while feeding themselves with their right hand. Traditionally the two most honored guests at the feast would recline on the right and left hand of the host. John, who reclines on the Lord’s breast, sits at Jesus’ right (John 13:23) and Judas on His left. When Jesus identifies His betrayer, no one hears but Judas, who is sitting next to Him (Matthew 26:25). John repays Jesus’ invitation for eternal life and intimacy by a lifetime of service; Judas betrays Him for thirty pieces of silver. Employment Po...
Read more

He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5).

  16 May 26 Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One Readings: 2 Kings 15 2 Kings 16 2 Kings 17 John 6:1-21 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do (John 6:6).  He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5). Jesus doesn’t ask the above question to Philip because He needs an answer; our Lord knows all things. The Good Shepherd’s question has a twofold effect: It shows the inability of men to meet the needs of mankind and displays the impossibility of feeding the vast multitude. Philip should have turned to Jesus and said, “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37). This is the first miracle the disciples participate in with the Lord. Amazingly, Jesus provides “as much [bread and fish] as they wanted” (John 6:11). The verb “they wanted” occurs in the imperfect tense, showing continual action in past time. Jesus also had “twelve baskets with the fragments” left over to feed the ...
Read more