Safetypinlove

The Holy Spirit indwells the Believer, working to bring about a more righteous life and heart. He comforts, guides, convicts, admonishes, and teaches. The Holy Spirit warns us with conviction…attempting to convince us that what we’re deliberating about may not in our best interest…but He doesn’t control our final decision. That’s called Free Will…the right to choose according to our desires at the moment. Thus in the end, we have the choice to whether follow the Holy Spirit and have peace, or select our fleshly preference and experience unrest.

When my son was small, he slipped out of the house unseen and almost toddled into heavy traffic… if it wasn’t for a perfect stranger grabbing him. They didn’t have to do it, other than the ethical & moral obligation from one human being to another to do good, particularly when it was within their power to help. Titus 2:14 exhorts us to, “Be eager to do what is good.” For when we willingly fill another person’s need, we demonstrate the kindness & compassion of the love of Christ…overflowing in our hearts to others.

With everything you’ve gone through, the enemy thought you were finished. But God turned it around into something greater than you ever thought could happen. That’s because the anointing on your life is real, it has sustained you from ruin, and is greater than anything the enemy can throw at you. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus reminds us that nothing is impossible with God,(Luke 1:37, Luke 18:27, Matthew 19:26) for He is more than able to accomplish what we cannot. So just remember, the oil has kept you, the promise has sustained you, and the glory will reveal you.

We ask the Lord to direct our footsteps according to His Word, (Psalm 119:133) but when He attempts to order our steps, we balk, drag our feet, or worse yet, dig in our heels and refuse to move. But when we complain to God about our plight…He gently points out that we’re still stubbornly standing still. We don’t need to be reminded that our steps are ultimately directed by the Lord, (Proverbs 20:24) and that His Sovereignty of purpose is certain and perfect. Therefore, it all boils down to our obedience and realization that obedience is not a wasted endeavor on our part. So when we’re praying for direction…we need to be prepared to move forward in the Lord. For God can’t do much if our feet are planted in concrete…other than using (Holy Spirit) dynamite.

Psalm 33:3 tells us that “new ” songs were found in the context of victories in war or battles, which makes absolute sense…but makes me also think that many of us need to change our tune. Unfortunately for too long, we’ve been in a habitual pattern of singing the same old song…caught up on the mental treadmill of what life has dealt us. These “new” songs of victory described in Psalm 28:7 were joyous and triumphant songs filled with thanks and praise to God…not the routine, memorized varieties the people sang day in and day out… without even thinking about the words. So, just maybe we need to change our victim songs into victoriously overcoming the struggle ones…or our laments of regret into laudable songs of praise to God…or our complaining songs into new grateful ones of contentment.

Chapter 14 of John starts out by Jesus reassuring and comforting His disciples before He is arrested, tortured, and crucified. Other translations say, “Where I am going you know, and the way you know.” But when Thomas expressed his troubling confusion, Jesus brings everything into clarity for them all by stating, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) In other words, they already understand the Way to Where He is going by virtue of their ongoing and intimate relationship with Him. And today we can have that same kind of hope of eternal life too if we will turn from our sin and trust in the life, death, and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

“Prepare your minds for action,” to Peter meant, “Gird up your loins mentally”…which in modern terminology might mean, “Fasten your seatbelts,” or “Roll up your sleeves.” This phrase of Peter’s was a metaphor for preparing oneself mentally for action and readiness for the challenges ahead as a Christian in this broken world. For Peter knew what it was like to boldly follow Jesus in the face of persecution, and is urging us today to prepare for vigorous and sustained spiritual exertion by living a God-centered life that reflects our faith…which is the only way we can set our hope fully on the grace to be given us when Jesus Christ makes His return.

In Ecclesiastes 7:2 a funeral is called a house of mourning…bringing into sharp focus the indispensable perspective on the universal & terminal condition we call death. But this doesn’t make the death of a loved one any easier, does it? And as we begin our journey of grief, we desperately want to return to what we once knew as “normal”. But that type of “normal” will never exist again. And so our journey of loss now becomes one of finding our “new normal.” Which brings this verse in Proverbs into perfect perspective. Outward joy and hidden grief can comfortably coexist together as our “new normal” slowly comes into view.

When I stop to think of my parents…their work ethic, modest lifestyle, and humility, I can see that Jesus was their example that they followed all their lives. They always put others ahead of themselves in serving, volunteering, and giving of their time and talents. It’s this type of Christ-like humility that accepts a place of service with genuine concern for the needs and interests of others…while in contrast, selfish pride is competitive by nature and tries to lift a person above others, dividing and promoting conflict rather than harmony. I Peter 5:5 tells us to clothe ourselves with humility towards one another, for when we cover ourselves and our humble and faithful obedience with the love of God…people won’t see us, they’ll just see God’s love in action.

I was recently asked if I was employing Artificial Intelligence to write my Devotionals. I quickly answered that I had something far superior to AI…I have daily sought the help of the Holy Spirit these last thirteen years to compose my Devotionals! In this verse, Jesus is explaining the work of the Holy Spirit as He leads, instructs, and freely declares God’s Truth. (John 16:5-15) Thus, when He spoke of the personality of the Holy Spirit, Jesus meant that the third mode of being in the Trinity was a person not a force. That’s because, the Holy Spirit is a real and distinct person, not some impersonal power…so it’s possible for us to enjoy a personal relationship with Him. (II Corinthians 13:14) The job then of the Holy Spirit is to comfort, guide, and teach the elect…revealing the Word as only He can…as He guides us into all Truth. (John 16:13) Therefore, no AI program on earth will ever be able to know the mind of God as the Holy Spirit does.