The Shield of Faith
Today’s Verse:
Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. ~Nehemiah 9:20
God has given every believer many remarkable gifts that we are not worthy of. James 1:17 tells us that the gifts of God are fail-safe: they are perfect and from above, they are favorable, they are good, and they are Fatherly–they are from God our Father, Who gives us His best. One of the supernatural gifts that we overlook is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Nehemiah said, “Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them….”
We see the Holy Spirit, Who is our Friend.
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). The word for Comforter is paraclete, which means “the one who comes alongside of.” It means that He is at our side. Not only is He at our side, but He is at our side as our Teacher and Instructor. He lovingly guides us into all truth. As a trusted Friend, He does not hold anything back when it comes to the spiritual things of God. Jesus said that He teaches us all things. Nehemiah said that He instructs us. He is integral in our spiritual development and in drawing us close to God.
We see the Holy Spirit and His filling.
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). We are commanded to be under the control and influence of the Holy Spirit. Years ago, a student pilot-in-training panicked and froze. The pilot trainer tried to get him to release control of the plane back to him, but the student pilot was so frozen with fear that he did not. He put the plane in a downward spiral. The pilot began to say to the student pilot: “’Turn over the controls. Turn over the controls. Turn over the controls.” The last thing Traffic Control heard was the shout of the pilot, “Turn over the controls!”’ And they crashed. In order for us to have the filling of the Spirit, we must turn over the controls to the Lord. His filling enables us to have power for service.
We see the Holy Spirit and our fortune.
“Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:14). He is the down payment of our spiritual inheritance, which is our eternity in Heaven. His indwelling gives us complete assurance that we are saved and that our eternal glory will be completed the day that the Lord takes us home. His indwelling is the guarantee of our glorification, where we are no longer mortal, but, instead, immortal. It is the glorious fact that we are free from the presence of sin. Heaven and eternal life are our spiritual fortune. We will be recipients of the riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
The Holy Spirit works that which is good in us. Paul said, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). He teaches us God’s Word, He helps us when we pray, He is always at our side, and He works that which is pleasing to God when we give Him control. Are you enjoying the Spirit’s work in your life?
Have a Spirit-filled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Isaiah 13-17