Monday, September 16 – “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (Romans 8:14) Once upon a time, salvation came through a bloodline. And was experienced through the keeping of a law. Now, in this time, salvation comes through a relationship. A relationship with God. A relationship that is made possible because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Along with indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. You are a sacred child of God, not because you keep a law. You’re a sacred child of God because of the relationship you have with God.
Tuesday, September 17 – “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) Here’s the catch. You must have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, in order to understand the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. And you can only understand the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, if you’re indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Which is the opposite of how us humans operate. For we want to see, before we believe. But faith is belief in things not seen.
Wednesday, September 18 – “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel 11:19-20) God gave the law so that we would have a relationship with God. Now, we’ve been given a relationship with God, through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. This has always been God’s intention. God doesn’t desire sacrifice. God desires, mercy, love and obedience. In order to achieve that goal, God has given us the Holy Spirit.
Thursday, September 19 – “’This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’” (Jeremiah 31:33) A covenant is a promise. A deal between two parties. God made a promise that there would come a day when God’s law would be written in our minds and on our hearts. It would no longer be about what we do, it would be about who we are. That day is now. Because of the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
Friday, September 20 – “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) There are two choices. You stand at a crossroads and you can go one of two ways. One way is the flesh. Doing whatever feels good in the moment. Allowing greed and lust and revenge to rule your life and your decisions. The other way is the way of the Spirit. Being the best you that you can be, in this time and in this place. Allowing grace and love and compassion to rule your life and your decisions. The choice is yours. Oh, and if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
Saturday, September 21 – “Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!” (Job 14:4) Let’s reason this out for a second. All of us are born condemned. We’re all born impure. Not because we’re bad people. But because of the sin-stained, fractured and faulty world in which we live, because of sin. Thus, being impure, how can anyone be made pure? Can you be good enough? Can you do enough to warrant God saving you from this fallen existence? No matter how hard you try, you will never be able to make something pure from the impure. Yet, through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, God no longer sees your impurity. God only sees God’s purity. And it’s this purity, this indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, that enables a right relationship with God.
Tuesday, September 17 – “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) Here’s the catch. You must have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, in order to understand the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. And you can only understand the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, if you’re indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Which is the opposite of how us humans operate. For we want to see, before we believe. But faith is belief in things not seen.
Wednesday, September 18 – “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel 11:19-20) God gave the law so that we would have a relationship with God. Now, we’ve been given a relationship with God, through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. This has always been God’s intention. God doesn’t desire sacrifice. God desires, mercy, love and obedience. In order to achieve that goal, God has given us the Holy Spirit.
Thursday, September 19 – “’This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’” (Jeremiah 31:33) A covenant is a promise. A deal between two parties. God made a promise that there would come a day when God’s law would be written in our minds and on our hearts. It would no longer be about what we do, it would be about who we are. That day is now. Because of the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
Friday, September 20 – “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) There are two choices. You stand at a crossroads and you can go one of two ways. One way is the flesh. Doing whatever feels good in the moment. Allowing greed and lust and revenge to rule your life and your decisions. The other way is the way of the Spirit. Being the best you that you can be, in this time and in this place. Allowing grace and love and compassion to rule your life and your decisions. The choice is yours. Oh, and if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
Saturday, September 21 – “Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one!” (Job 14:4) Let’s reason this out for a second. All of us are born condemned. We’re all born impure. Not because we’re bad people. But because of the sin-stained, fractured and faulty world in which we live, because of sin. Thus, being impure, how can anyone be made pure? Can you be good enough? Can you do enough to warrant God saving you from this fallen existence? No matter how hard you try, you will never be able to make something pure from the impure. Yet, through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, God no longer sees your impurity. God only sees God’s purity. And it’s this purity, this indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, that enables a right relationship with God.
You try to eat right. You drink plenty of water. you exercise. don't forget your spirit - feed it!
daily devotions
