Devotions

I am learning something wonderful about the Holy Spirit. He has a unique characteristic; he does not like to talk about himself. He does not make himself the primary object of our attention.

I have tried earnestly to study the Holy Spirit, digging into entire volumes about him written by respected authors, books about his nature and personality. Some of these books are very deep and often hard to understand. They are all very interesting but not always enlightening. The fact is that they can’t instruct us or bring us closer to God because we can only understand what the Spirit himself reveals, and he won’t talk about himself!

I have tried digging into the meaning of the Holy Spirit’s names — Comforter, Paraclete, Advocate, Intercessor — looking for some insight as to who he is. I finally realized that we Christians don’t have to understand the person of the Holy Spirit because he doesn’t want to tell us hidden things about himself. All we need to know is that he is one of the Godhead, eternal, the very Spirit of Christ, sent down to this earth to live in us who believe. Even more important, his eyes are always on Christ!

The Holy Spirit doesn’t want us to know about him so much as to know about his mission, and that mission is to bring us to Jesus and to keep us in purity and holiness. He is always at work, making Christ known in our hearts; and he delights in our seeking knowledge about why he has come.

Jesus said, “When he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak; and he will tell you things to come. He will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you. …These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:13-14, 33, NKJV).

During the years in New York City when we worked with addicts, alcoholics and the homeless, I would pray, “Lord, everywhere I look, I see pain, distress, grief and trouble. What message can I possibly give to those in such dire need? What is your word to them? Surely you care for these precious people. Surely you long to bring them a word that can set them free.”

The Lord gave me assurance that he has provided a way to strengthen every child of his to resist the enemy. This strength comes only from eating the bread of life sent down from heaven. Our spiritual health depends on getting this bread into us.

Listen carefully to the words of Jesus: “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will live because of me” (John 6:57, NKJV). Jesus was in such close communion with the Father and was so committed to doing only his will that the Father’s words became his very food and drink. Jesus was sustained daily by hearing and seeing what the Father wanted, which was the result of spending much time alone with him.

Christ told his disciples, “I have food to eat of which you do not know. …My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:32, 34). He also instructed them, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal on him” (John 6:27). We dare not miss this secret of strength. Even as Christ lived by the Father, we must also receive our life by feeding on Christ.

When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, the manna that sustained them was dispensed daily. Through this example, God is telling us that what we ate of Christ yesterday will not supply our need for today. We must admit we will starve spiritually and become weak and helpless without a daily supply of fresh heavenly bread. We must come to the Lord’s table often.

Most of us know that sin is at the root of all our problems, our fear, guilt, anger, depression. We know that these rob us of spiritual courage and vitality. What we do not know is how to overcome the “sin which so easily ensnares us” (see Hebrews 12:1).

It’s one of the Bible’s great promises that victory over all our enemies comes through Jesus Christ our Lord, but how do we get the power out of his vine into our puny little branch? I love Jesus, always have, and I know that he has all power. I also know he promises me victory, but how does it happen?

I am just beginning to see a little light on this mystery. God is asking me to do the following three things in my own search for total triumph over my sin.

1.   I must learn to hunger for holiness and hate my sin. Sin pollutes me, and God cannot look upon it or condone it. The fear of God is the basis of all freedom. I can’t expect to be excused or given special privileges. My sin must be confessed and forsaken.

2.   I must be convinced that God loves me in spite of my sin! God hates my sin with a perfect hatred, while at the same time he loves me with an infinite compassion. His love will never compromise with sin, but he clings to his sinning child with one purpose in mind: to reclaim him.

3.   I must accept the loving help of my Father in resisting and overcoming. Sin is like an octopus with many tentacles trying to crush my life. Seldom do all the tentacles loosen their hold on me at once. It is one tentacle at a time, one small victory at a time. God dispatches the Holy Spirit to me with clear direction on how to fight, when to run, where to strike next.

The battle against sin, principalities and powers is the Lord’s, not mine. I am just a soldier, fighting in his war. God wants me to totally believe in him and his power over sin and death. My part is to believe that God will bring me out of the battle victoriously!

Good health of the body, mind and spirit is a coordinated effort between all three that requires thoughtful attention. You know this if you’ve ever tried to take an exam on two hours’ sleep, finish a long project without eating or embark on a long hike without packing some water. Even relationships need the support of positive eating, sleep and exercise habits.

Coming from a ministry family, I have known many pastors and church leaders – men and women - who dove into their callings with such zeal that everything else took a back seat. I’ve fallen prey myself at times to the notion that I am indispensable. We take the call of God on our lives seriously and are often tempted to feel that only we can meet the needs at hand.

In addition, there is the pressure of the past. The church was built on sacrifice, and early believers set the commitment bar high. Through the centuries, Christians have endeavored to be equally devoted. We remember those who gave their all and honor others who, even today, suffer for the faith. How can we do less in our own lives?

Success in the kingdom of God, however, rests on the health of the workers. If you show up burned out day after day, year upon year, your health, family and ministry will suffer. According to Barna, an alarming 41% of pastors have considered quitting ministry in the last twelve months. If you are one of them, you are overdue for a health reset.

It is important to remember that although our bodies are finely tuned, they are finite; every cell needs good food, water, exercise and rejuvenating sleep.  Our minds and spirits also depend on rest, nourishment and preventive care to be strong and effective.

In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul wrote, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, ESV). Paul’s emphasis on holistic living teaches us that balance in all areas is the way to successfully represent and glorify God.

To properly feed and care for your calling, make it a point to extend God’s redeeming grace into every activity of your life. Healthy habits and caring for your body and mind will reap lifelong benefits for you, your loved ones and those you serve.

Where does corruption and trouble in the world come from? It comes from evil desires in depraved people. Even Christians deal with evil desires that want to pop up in their lives. There’s corruption in the world, but God said, “I’ve sent my Son into the world that you might not only have eternal life but that you will also be saved from the evil in the world” (see John 3:16). How do we take hold of this freedom?

Let’s look at the life of the great Christian man of faith George Muller. He ran orphanages and was led peculiarly to not ask for funds. He just trusted God through prayer and faith to see all the needs supplied. Muller once said, “I can’t make it through the day with all my responsibilities without starting the day with God in his Word. I can’t even pray effectively until I have faith, but faith comes by hearing the Word of God.”

In the Bible, there are commands, historical narrative, poetry, worship songs, but there are also lots of promises that God is making. Every part of the Bible is important, but what are the promises God makes to us, to you specifically, in his Word?

The apostle Peter encouraged the persecuted church by saying, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (2 Peter 1:3-4, ESV).

By believing God’s promises of salvation, we become partakers in the divine nature. Now, we don’t become gods like some new age religions would claim, but we share in God’s divine nature. How? By trusting God more and more, and having our faith grow. Increasingly, we share in the power and goodness of the Holy Spirit who has come to live inside us. Peter said that we gain that by believing and hanging onto God’s promises.

How about asking God to give you more wisdom and discipline to read the Bible and search for his promises?

_{Jim Cymbala began the Brooklyn Tabernacle with less than twenty members in a small, rundown building in a difficult part of the city. A native of Brooklyn, he is a longtime friend of both David and Gary Wilkerson.}