Holy Spirit – Page 12

John 14:15-29 You Are Not An Orphan

Friends - two stuffed bears sitting in a field one with the arm around the other

Jesus is not going to leave his disciples (or us) alone as orphans. Our reading today kicks off our new theme of “The Holy Spirit & Prayer.” We see exactly when and where Jesus promises the Holy Spirit to his disciples. It was during his last meal with them. He was dropping a lot of truth bombs on them that night. Jesus was cramming some important stuff into this time with them.

You know how it can be when you’re getting ready to leave after a visit. You think of all the things you wanted to say the whole time but either didn’t find the right time to say or simply ran out of time. Either could be happening here. But clearly the disciples are starting to get a little nervous. The things Jesus was saying that night must have left them with more questions than answers.

Philippians 2:1-11 Jesus is With Us

Read Philippians 2:1-11

silhouette of a girl looking up to a whole in the sky at sunset

Paul is challenging us to “have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” That might seem a bit daunting, but Paul shows us a bit about what that means. Having this knowledge gives us a glimpse into Jesus’ character as well. Humble. Compassionate. Loving.

You may be thinking, it’s easy to have a good attitude when you’re God. You’re in control. Yet, while Jesus is God, he is also man. We can’t forget Jesus “gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave.” Jesus knows firsthand how difficult being a human can be.

December 14 When God Lives Among Us (Zephaniah 3:14-20)

Read Zephaniah 3:14-20

Hand doing the "OK" motion with sunshine streaming through the open "o"

Oh, what a day that will be when God comes to live among us! He already sent his son, Jesus to do just that all those years ago. That’s what we celebrate in less than two weeks. God incarnate. God lived among us as one of us! Not only was he 100% God, but he was also 100% human.

I know, the math doesn’t add up, but in God’s economy, it makes perfect sense. God can do even more than we can imagine. Our minds can’t even comprehend. It’s with that awe and gratitude I want to make the most of this day, this gift God has given me.

2 Samuel 21:15-22 – Battling Our Giants

Read 2 Samuel 21:15-22

These battles with the Philistines are likely to have happened at various times during David’s reign. Where they fall in the scheme of things doesn’t seem to be important. What then does killing giants have to do with the story?

This collection of stories is known by scholars to be a “list” of importance. Each account identifies itself as “another battle.” The common theme is the destruction of a descendent of the giants. It’s like they did a big sort of the stories and gathered these four into one group.

2 Samuel 20:14-26 – The Wise One

Read 2 Samuel 20:14-26

black and white pic of two children walking down the street, one with their arm around the other

The wise woman saved a town and gave King David’s leaders what they wanted. Sounds like a win-win, except for Sheba. Funny that I pictured her to be an old woman, hunched over with a shawl. Our reading doesn’t say anything about her age! Hmm. Curious.

I guess I usually equate wisdom with age. After all, I feel a lot smarter than I did when I was younger. Life lessons, plenty of mistakes and wrong directions, including smart course corrections. But then I also think that my granddaughter is “wise beyond her years!”