Day 5: The Holy Spirit

Do you cringe when you hear “Holy Spirit?” Maybe you imagine someone flopping around on the floor like a fish out of water. Let’s be honest. The Holy Spirit has gotten a bad name in the circles of religion. We tend to treat Him like the crazy uncle of the family. We invite Him to the Christmas party because he’s part of the family. Still, the whole time everyone is nervous about what He’s going to do or say. But the Holy Spirit shouldn’t be scary or weird. It is the greatest gift God has given us. To put it simply, the Holy Spirit is God’s presence. Before Jesus, the only time man was able to experience God’s presence was in the temple. A Holy Priest would have to make the proper sacrifice to enter into the Holy of Holies where God’s presence resided. Jesus came as the perfect and final sacrifice. The Bible says the thick curtain that separated the Holy of Holies and the world was torn in two, allowing God’s Spirit to now be available to all who receive Him.

When Jesus left the earth to ascend into heaven, he told his disciples that it was much better for him to leave. His leaving is what allowed us to enter into a relationship with the Holy Spirit. It’s better because now everyone who has the Holy Spirit can experience God’s presence where ever and whenever.

We receive the Holy Spirit whenever we surrender our life to Jesus. Still, the Bible makes it clear there are times when God will bless us with more of His presence to get us through difficult times. This matters because God’s presence is the force that gives us strength, guidance, and the Fruit of Spirit. Ok, “fruit” is kind of a weird term. The Bible lists nine characteristics that we have when filled with the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self- control. Everyday we need at least one of those to get us through life!

We should not only embrace the Holy Spirit but also frequently ask the Lord to fill us with the Holy Spirit.

Scripture of the Day

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

– Galatians 5:22-23