Devotion:
Read Galatians 5:22-23.
I don’t know that there is any significance to the order of this list, but I note that three of the gifts we are focusing on this season are listed first: love, joy and peace. The writer is emphasizing what is produced in the life of individuals and a community of faith when that person or group is being led by the Holy Spirit. These are not characteristics that we produce on our own, just like we don’t produce fruit on our own. The production comes from this Spirit who is God. So it is vital that we stay in touch with this Spirit each day, allowing for cultivation and growth to take place.
This week our focus is on joy. We do not produce this joy on our own. Sure, we can try to have a positive attitude all the time or do our best to have a smile on our face when we encounter others. But this joy runs much deeper than that. The Spirit gives us a sense of joy that overcomes all of the struggles, trials and complications of this world. Does that mean we won’t ever grieve or be upset about something? Of course not! But we can experience a foundation of joy that will see us through anything. The key to knowing this joy? It’s found just two verses later in this same chapter: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Personal Worship Option:
What do you do each day to “keep in step with the Spirit”?
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