"The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him-the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord."
(Isaiah 11:2)
The blackout took my neighborhood by surprise. Suddenly in total darkness,
I inched my way to the bedside table and fumbled for the flashlight. What a
frustration...it didn't work. How useless-a flashlight that didn't function.
Just as useless is the person unable to function according to God's divine plan.
Why? Because God originally designed the human spirit to contain the Holy Spirit.
In the garden, Adam and Eve had perfect oneness with God. The Holy Spirit lived in
their human spirits and enlightened every aspect of their lives. Once they pronounced their
"declaration of independence" from God, however, sin came in and the Spirit went out.
The pair were like a flashlight without batteries; with no power on the inside,
there was no light on the outside. They spiraled downward into spiritual darkness.
Yet God did not give up on all those who were born into that same darkness.
"The lamp of the Lord searches the spirit of man." (Proverbs 20:27). God desired
to reunite the Holy Spirit with the human spirit so that they could again be one.
When you feel the frustration of wandering in the dark, know that the Lord
has already provided the perfect guide for your life.
"For when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth."
(John 6:13).
Your own personal Counselor, Conscience, Convictor, and Comforter fills
your soul-your mind, will, and emotions--with perfect truth.
He teaches your mind, directs your will, and guides your emotions.
As a result, those who are joined to the Spirit better understand spiritual things.
"My message and preaching were not with wise and persuasive words but
with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not
rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."
(2 Corinthians 2:4)
Like the flashlight, you were designed to shine; but you can never shine with
your own power. The Holy Spirit provides the power to produce the light.
And once you shine as you were intended to shine, you will never be useless!
"The Holy Spirit"
A devotional reading by
June Hunt
(1944-
Christian author and founder and CSO (Chief Servant Officer) of
Hope for the Heart, a U.S.-based nonprofit Christian ministry
which she founded in 1986.
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