Devotionals

Intimacy With The Holy Spirit (Disipline)

He Disiplines

A good parent knows to discipline. Do we only love our parents when they give us gifts or when they warn us of the dangers to come? Do we only love our parents when they feed us or also when they correct us? Do we love our parents only when thy praise us or when they rebuke and discipline us?

To love God is to love who He is in your life. To value Him. We shouldn't love God for one part but for who God is. God is Holy, perfect, and just who has to judge sin. His a comforter, supporter, and help in times of trouble.

When scripture tells us not to despise the day of chastening of the Lord (Proverbs 3:11) it refers to not hating God's correction, conviction, and rebuke but to recognise what is God's heart.

God's heart posture is always from a place of love. Love is who God is. When God tells us to turn away from sin, it is coming from a place of love. If God corrects you and highlights what you need to change. It isn't to condemn or taunt you but from a place of love. Where your Father tells you "Hey, this is not the way you should walk. Turn away from unforgiveness and let go of that anger". He speaks through your mind, He corrects your heart so you can become more like Him, more like who He created you to be.

If God has been disciplining you and if God has been correcting you lately, I don't want you to live in a place of anger, hurt, and confusion, feeling like you're messed up and guilty but recognise that the Holy Spirit is doing His work in you.

Recognise that as your Helper, He is helping you to become like Him and bear the right fruits. As Lord of your life, He is transforming you. When He highlights you have a timid spirit and get scared, don't live in guilt or tiredness but recognize when the Holy Spirit convicts you, He can help you.

The Holy Spirit doesn't convict us and leave us there. He doesn't point out our sin and that it. No, when the Holy Spirit convicts us, He also points us to the right way and helps us. It's not that you know you're lustful, that you now start working to become pure on your own. No, the Holy Spirit will be there to tell you "Stop. Hold those thoughts captive", or "Turn away before you see the wrong things" "This conversation will take you places you don't want to go" or that whisper usually "this will lead you compromising, stick to your boundaries"

He can help you. When you fight sin, you're no longer fighting on your own. Though our flesh and spirit fight against one another (Galations 5:17), the Holy Spirit comes and empowers you. He is the one who gives you the strength to resist the devil and submit to God. His the voice that says no. He's the one who tells you to stop. He's the one who convinces you to apologise when you want to be bitter. He's the one who highlights the areas in your life that needs improvement. But when He does reveal, He helps.

What He does is that He will tell you when you are angry "Calm down, take time to pray before you speak" and your submission and obedience will lead to this partnership and agreement. We have to obey His voice because if we don't, we grieve Him

When He tells you not to watch something and you know it's wrong and it will lead to sin, stop and listen, ask Him for strength, and turn away. Obey Him because His doing this to help you.

When He tells you that you've been neglecting Him and been distracted, He will also guide you to read the word and pray more. Listen to Him by turning off your phone and deciding to spend a moment of worship.

It's in that partnership that your relationship deepens.

I want us today to ask the Holy Spirit to deepen our obedience to Him and our relationship. I want you to know you have the Holy Spirit in you, you're not walking alone but the Spirit of God lives in you, His there and He speaks, corrects, and comforts you. It's not just you that's reading this but the Holy Spirit with you.

Tell the Holy Spirit to grow you and Him in time. To strengthen your relationship. To give you a spirit of obedience and to help you become more sensitive to his spirit. Ask Him to help you to walk according to Him and to recognise His voice, obey and follow Him. To give you the grace to turn from sin so you can be in alignment and agreement with Him.

-etty