Focus

Prepare yourself to discern what is and what is not of God today. Still yourself so you can hear how God is calling you.

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Read

John 7:37-39 (NRSV)

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

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Reflect

Understanding the Holy Spirit is next to impossible, so we often use comparisons and analogies to aid our understanding. Sometimes the Spirit has been compared to “The Force” in the Star Wars series, but this comparison falls short.

In John 7 Jesus said that the Spirit would be like a river of living water that would flow from the heart of those who believe in him. A river continues to move, even when things block its path. A river is a source of life and growth as it provides food and water. It can provide refreshment and renewal. A river can be calm and gentle or forceful, offering peace or creating energy—depending upon the need and circumstances.

God sent the Holy Spirit after Jesus ascended to heaven to comfort the early followers as well as to empower them to do God’s work. Those who believe in Christ as Savior continue to receive the Holy Spirit. As you go about your day, ask the Spirit to keep the glory of Christ’s love for you, seen fully on the cross, in the forefront of your mind and heart!

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Pray

Loving God, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit! Thank you for allowing the timeless reality of your love for me through Jesus’s sacrifice to be real to my heart through the Spirit. Create in me a sense of wonder, worship, and willingness to serve. Through Christ I pray. Amen.

Go with God.