Daily Delight Devotional – Tuesday, September 3, 2024
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
– Galatians 5:22-23, NIV
Yesterday, I touched briefly on the result of our fellowship with the Holy Spirit. His work in us is transformative as it produces fruit which is reflective of our becoming like Christ. The more we walk with Him, He cultivates within us the qualities that reflect God’s character, known as the fruit of the Spirit. This fruit is not produced by our own efforts but through the Holy Spirit’s work in us, shaping our hearts and lives.
The process of this work is ongoing, as He works in our hearts to develop qualities consistent with Jesus’ nature. As we yield to the Holy Spirit, He replaces our old, sinful tendencies with Christ-like virtues such as love, joy, peace and others mentioned by Apostle Paul. These ninefold manifestations are not mere moral improvements but evidence of God’s power at work within us. They are characteristics of Jesus and as we grow in our relationship with Him, these traits mature as well.
For the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in us, we must be willing to yield to His leading. It requires our daily surrender, allowing Him to guide our thoughts, words, and actions. When we do this, it becomes easy to influence our world. We can function as the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
Insight: The Holy Spirit works within us to develop Christ-like character, producing the fruit of the Spirit that reflects God’s nature and impacts those around us.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, work in me, shape me to be more like Christ in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading – 2 Kings 21-23