January 25 - The Gift of the Spirit is Divine Power
But ye shall receive power, after that the holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. - Acts 1:8
As Jesus bade His disciples farewell His chief concern was their imperative need --the power of the Holy Spirit. He was not troubled over their lack of wealth, position, or prestige. He was troubled lest they attempt to save a world without the infilling of the Spirit of God. He knew that the fate of His church depended upon men who were emptied of self and filled with the power of heaven.
God plans for all His children to receive the gift of the Spirit. It is promised to every baptized believer, for Peter declared: "Let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is meant for you and for your children and for all who are far off, for anyone whom the Lord our God may call to Himself." Acts 2:38, 39.
The power of the Holy spirit is the Christian's essential equipment; he is helpless to withstand the enemy without this divine aid. Work for others will be fruitless without the promise of the Spirit in the heart. "If divine power does not combine with human effort, I would not give a straw for all that the greatest man could do," says one religious writer.
Like the disciples, we are to wait for the promised power. This waiting means a time of preparation. We must clean out the rubbish of sin; we must get rid of soul-destroying selfishness. Sometimes we are so anxious to serve God that we start without divine aid. Then we disappoint ourselves and we fail our heavenly Father.
We can toil early and late, as did the fishermen of Galilee, and have only emptiness for our efforts; but when we go forth with the power and spirit of God, we shall see a rich harvest. - Neff
author tnoe@squatterz.com
January 25 - The Gift of the Spirit is Divine Power
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