Re:Verse reading–Acts 13:1-52 (day four)
V. 52 – “And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”
One of the keynote messages of Acts is the gift and work of the Holy Spirit. Over and over, we see how the gospel is communicated, men are inspired to preach, believers are delivered from prison, or hearts and lives are changed…all by the work of the Holy Spirit. Whether circumstances are difficult or encouraging, the Holy Spirit continually fills the disciples with joy. What a blessing to have the steadiness of the presence of the Holy Spirit!
Have you allowed your circumstances to steal your joy? It is easy to do. We get caught up in the business of life and lose sight of the perspective of the Holy Spirit. When Barnabas and Paul were set aside for God’s work, the church leaders were praying and fasting…looking for direction from the Holy Spirit. Seek daily for the Spirit to continually fill you…joy is so much better than stress and discouragement.
Great reminder of walking in the Spirit or walking with God. Victory over sins, health, peace, joy, and humility toward others will be the fruits of our day if we invite the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives!
I could not agree more, “seek daily for the Spirit to continually fill you … joy is so much better than stress and discouragement.” Very wise indeed! Pray and receive!
As I listened to one of the Sermons, I was reminded that we must want to let the Holy Spirit to take over our lives. It is also important to remember that in order to continue to be filled with Spirit, we must confess our sins to God the Father every time we realize that we have sinned and ask for the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives again. My Mother asked us to confess our sins every night before we were allowed to go to bed. She knew what we did or could think wrong but wanted to grow humility in us and to make us aware of the importance of repentance.
In reflection, I utilized the concept of “repentance” in my Organizational Development and Change work when I served as Change Agent for the US. Department of Agriculture between 1993-1999. From concept to implementation and evaluation for each task or project, I asked the following questions: 1) What did we do wrong; 2) How could and why we did wrong; 3) What did we do well; and 4) What can we do differently to yield better outcomes and results? These questions may be helpful in evaluating our personal lives toward wanting to walk in the Spirit of God.
I firmly believe that to live our lives in the Spirit of God requires us to spend as much time in the Bible as we can. I have found that when I prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to take control of a particular situation or a pending decision, I always found peace and joy in my heart and a tremendous encouragement to move forward with ease and hope for positive outcomes and strong buy-in and support from stakeholders.
I am convinced that when we trust and have faith in Jesus, and when we invite the Holy Spirit to take over our lives, we will be filled with Him who will guide us in what directions we must take for a no-stress earthly zone, at both personal and professional level. Satan provides stress and constant human conflicts; God through the Holy Spirit provides health, wisdom, peace, joy and eternity. The Holy Spirit does all the work for us if we are open to let Him take the driver seat.
Who will you rely on when you are in total darkness? Have you noticed the change in heart or outcomes when you invited the Holy Spirit to take control of your lives and to allow Him to steer your thought process? Have you thought about the process to walk in the Spirit?