READING:
One-year plan: Ecclesiastes 9-12, Galatians 5-6
Two-year plan: 1 Kings 2, John 3:32-4:8
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I confess that I have given too little attention to the Spirit of God in my life. When I first became a believer some years ago, many churches were afraid to talk much about the Spirit — and we inadvertently missed one Person of the Trinity of God. Paul, though, didn’t make that same mistake. He knew that it is through the Spirit that we become believers, and the Spirit enables us to call God our intimate Father: “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Gal 4:6). Moreover, the Spirit leads us to “eagerly await” the day when God will ultimately declare us righteous (Gal 5:5), perhaps at our death, at the return of Christ, or at the final judgment.
As we await that time, though, we are to walk by the Spirit, giving evidence of His presence by our “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal 5:22). Filled by the Spirit of God, we can reject the passions of our flesh and ultimately reap eternal life (Gal 5:16-17; 6:8). And, if a brother or sister falls into sin, we can “restore that person gently” because of the Spirit in us (Gal 6:1). We are to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal 5:25) — a phrase that means to stand in line with the Spirit like military forces in order.
GOD lives in us—and that truth ought to change our lives.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Is the Spirit convicting you of anything today?
DAILY PRAYER: “God, thank You for the work of the Spirit in my life.”
TOMORROW’S READINGS:
One-year plan: Song 1-8, Ephesians 1
Two-year plan: 1 Kings 3:1-4:19, John 4:9-26