June 8th
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” Romans 14:17 NKJV
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NKJV
“For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” Romans 16:19-20 NKJV
There are many worthwhile benefits of living by the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of these benefits perhaps because we’re having difficulty experiencing them, or because we’re so focused on getting rid of sin in our lives. Getting rid of sin is important, but God also wants us to enjoy the fruits of living for him. After all, Jesus came so that we would have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10).
Romans 14:7 reminds us that God’s kingdom is about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In our fast-paced and uncertain times, we certainly need peace and joy as we meet the daily challenges of life. Paul prayed in Romans 15:13 that the people would be filled with joy and peace as they trusted in him. He also prayed that they would overflow in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hope is something that we cannot live without. It is an integral part of our faith in God. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The Holy Spirit will help us overflow with hope, and as a result our faith will be strengthened.
Living by the Spirit brings supernatural protection. In Romans 16:19-20, Paul mentioned that the people were well known for their obedience. As a result, God was going to crush Satan under their feet. When we obey God by getting rid of the evil in our lives and pursuing righteousness, God protects us and crushes the forces of evil. 1 John 5:18 says, “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him” (NKJV).
When we place our trust (faith) in Jesus, God sends the Holy Spirit to live in us (Ephesians 4:30). The Holy Spirit brings the life-changing power that enables us to live as a truly new person (Romans 8:11). If we respond to the Holy Spirit and cooperate with him, the “new person” in Christ will surely manifest in us (2 Corinthians 5:17). If we do not respond to the Holy Spirit, but rather, continue to live in our old sinful habits we had before we were saved, we’ll continue living like and acting like the our old self, failing to experience the benefits of living by the Spirit.
If you are struggling to experience the benefits of living by the Holy Spirit, I encourage you to ask God to intervene in your life today. Don’t allow the enemy to steal your peace, joy and hope. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Questions for further thought:
How does an earthly mindset sometimes dull our senses to the benefits of living for God? (Romans 8:5-8)
Who is constantly working to steal our peace and joy? (John 10:10)
What fruits of the Holy Spirit have you experienced in your life so far? Are there any that you have not yet experienced? (Galatians 5:22-23)
Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, thank you for the blessings and benefits that are mine through my faith in you. Please strengthen me to live by your laws and crush Satan under my feet. Please fill me with joy and peace in the Holy Spirit. Please fill me so that I overflow with hope and stand strong in my faith. I trust in you. I praise you and thank you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”