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Monday November 25 - The Spirit and the Word A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am
well pleased.” Matthew 3:17
The Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – are distinctly three yet perfectly one; different in function yet working in perfect harmony, mutually honouring one another. This is a profound mystery.
In this week’s passage we see an example of all three working together. Jesus had left heaven to bring salvation, hope and eternal life to a lost humanity. Following his baptism, two momentous events happened: God’s word came and the Holy Spirit fell. Salvation was not simply a ‘Jesus thing’, it is a ‘Trinity thing’ – all three persons working together to bring salvation to mankind.
Jesus was about to start his earthly ministry. It was going to be hugely difficult. In the days ahead he would have to battle against onslaughts from Satan, the world and his own flesh (hunger, pain, and disappointment). Jesus not only exemplified our need for baptism but also our need to receive power from above – the Holy Spirit. What’s more, Jesus needed the word of God; he and the disciples needed to hear God’s affirmation, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Both the Spirit and God’s word are transformative; we desperately need both. Why not take time to wait on God today – seeking a fresh outpouring of his Holy Spirit and praying for his affirmation of the calling on your life?
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I need you. May your word come to me, your Holy Spirit empower me and Jesus’ love flood and transform my heart. Amen.
Tues November 26 - The leading of the Holy Spirit
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Matthew 4:1
Have you ever felt like praying, “Hey! I’m a Christian, get me out of here”? Could it be it’s just because you are a Christian that you find yourself in a wilderness experience? Everything was in place; Jesus had been obedient in baptism, received God’s affirmation, and been strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Now he finds himself being led by the Spirit. Where to? Into the wilderness to be tempted by God’s arch-enemy, the devil. This was no day’s outing but 40 days of fasting. The Bible provides (in v 2) the understatement of all understatements: ‘Jesus was hungry’!
The Greek word for ‘tempted’ also means to be ‘tested’. If my memory of physics serves me correctly, the tensile strength of a material is the maximum stress that it can withstand before breaking. Jesus’ tensile strength was tested to the extreme in the wilderness. Hallelujah! He proved to be unbreakable!
Dear friend, despite the pressures of life, take heart. The Apostle Paul understood this principle; while under house arrest in Rome, he wrote to the hard-pressed Christians in Ephesus, ‘ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being...’ (Ephesians 3:16). Could it be that God wants to strengthen you in the trial rather than deliver you from it? May God give you all the strength and perseverance you need. Let’s pray:
Father, help me to be aware, despite my circumstances, that your power is at work within me. Thank you Lord. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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PRAYER FOR TODAY