Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. (Ps. 51:11)
MY FRIEND JAN HAS a serious disease that’s controlled with prescription drugs. Every day she takes the proper dose without fail. Jan knows that her wellness depends on the medicine’s work in her body.
Our spiritual wellness is completely dependent upon the work of the Holy Spirit. David understood this. He had seen what happened to Saul when God’s Spirit left him. David’s plea to God in Psalm 51 shows his utter dependence on Him for restoration of their fellowship.
Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come to them after His departure. We are heirs of that promise, too. The moment we accept Christ as Savior we receive the person of the Holy Spirit. He possesses all the attributes of the Father and the Son, and enables us to live the life of love to which we are called. But whenever we try to serve the Lord in our own strength, we presume to forfeit the extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit living within us. This is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead!
Are you daily relying on the Holy Spirit to keep you from sin, teach you God’s Word, and help you in prayer? Don’t settle for spiritual sickness. Recognize that you have everything you need for a dynamic Christian life in the person of the Holy Spirit, who gives you all you need to love your neighbors well and love your God better.
Go to the Holy Spirit for a spiritual checkup to ensure you’re relying on Him.
Nancy Reinke lives in Oregon with her artist husband. She enjoys writing, quilting, gardening, and encouraging others.
