Imagine living in Old Testament
times. No Bible, except the Pentateuch at the Temple, and no Holy Spirit
abiding within our Spirit. No intimate connection through Christ with the
presence of God within.
Sure, there was an occasional
Christophany when Jesus appeared to an individual; but how many times did that
happen? Once in a while the Holy Spirit embodied a person, such as a prophet,
but the normal rank and file person had no connection with Him.
If I had no Bible and no Holy
Spirit, I would be in an asylum. Emotional, mental and spiritual meltdowns
would be the natural order of my day. My emotions and melancholic thoughts would
dominate my life.
Bereft of God's Spirit and Word,
I would drift with the tide of life and get deeper and deeper into undertows
and whitewater designed by Satan to snuff out my natural life.
I barely survived like this for
the first 18 years of my life; but in God's mercy, He saved me and gave me the
fullest measure of His Spirit (Ephesians 3:16-19).
I weep uncontrollably at the
thought of not living as the temple of the Spirit of God (Psalm 51:11; 1
Corinthians 3:16-17). The presence of God's Spirit is the earnest of our
inheritance with Christ, and it assures us that we are truly Born Again (Ephesians
1:14).
How could we survive one moment
of life disconnected from the life-giving flow of God's Word and the security
and direction of His Spirit's presence in our life?
Thankfully, God's Spirit does
guide each moment of our day with precision and comfort (Proverbs 3:5-6),
leading us with His still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13). We can approach
God's throne with complete confidence (Hebrews 4:16). He is all we ever need.
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for Your
Spirit and Your Word. I do not know how people survive without Your intimate
presence in their life. I do not go one moment of the day without consulting
You, casting my cares on You and praying for Your blessings and a more intimate
union with You.
I feel so blessed to be living in
this day and time with the internet access and the speed at which we can
connect to Your Word day and night. Your Word is truth and we devour it
ravenously; it is sweeter than honey and the honey comb (Psalm 119:103). We can
never have enough hours in the day to show our appreciation to You for all You
do for us.
Thought for the Day:
Having no intimate union with the
Trinity, enjoying no assurances from the promises of God's Word, abandoned and
alone without the unconditional love daily showered on us by our Heavenly
Father would leave us rudderless in a sea of deprivation, confusion and
illusion.
