Dear Ones,
Hope your day is full of sunshine! Al will be off to meet with the men, and I will have a donut waiting for him when he gets home. I plan to bake and later we have Bible study. I had a great shopping day yesterday and may have to write about it. Emoji
Devotions from Judy’s heart
I would venture to say we all love gifts, no matter what our age. Some gifts we treasure and use and other gifts we may put aside for now, or even gift to others. There is one very special gift that stands out above all and that is the gift of the Holy Spirit that is given us when we become part of the family of God. Many don’t realize the worth of this precious gift and sadly ignore His presence, not realizing the potential of this gift that can change their life forever.  Jesus said in Luke 11:13, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

We have only to remember the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was first given to Jesus’ followers. They were gathered in one place and told to wait for the coming of this gift. Then suddenly they heard the sound of a mighty wind, and tongues of fire rested on each one of them, and they even spoke in other languages. What must it have been like if we were there. The gift of the Holy Spirit was given to all and their lives were radically changed. Some who had been afraid to share about Jesus became full of holy boldness like Peter who preached and 3,000 were saved and baptized. Others prayed for the sick and they were healed. We read of miracles of all kinds. So, if this precious gift is for all believers, why is the Holy Spirit not recognized and fully received?

Our part is to be open to the Spirit and receptive and not ignore the gift that we have been given. As I am writing this, I am reminded of a gift I was given years ago, and I haven’t used as I was waiting for the right time to use it. In the meantime, it has been in storage, and I need to get it out!  We also need to give attention to the presence of the Holy Spirit for He teaches us and helps make Jesus real in our lives, gives us boldness and strength to share Him with others, and aids us in using our gifts in effective ways etc.

Let us welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives every day and give Him freedom to work in and through us.

Challenge for today: Don’t resist the Holy Spirit but daily open yourself up to Him to fill you anew.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy