Invisible

Invisible

Bible:1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Do not quench the spirit (V.19).

Reading

When I looked round an art gallery, I saw one painting called The Wind. The piece showed a storm moving through a wooded area. Tall, thin trees leaned to the left. Bushes thrashed in the same direction. In an even more powerful sense, the Holy Spirit is able to move Christians in the direction of God’s goodness and truth. If we go along with the Spirit, we can expect to become braver and more loving. We will also become more selfcontrolled and better able to spot things that are bad for us, even though they look good (2 TIMOTHY 1:7). In some situations when the Spirit nudges us towards spiritual growth and change, we say, “No.” Continually blocking or ignoring what the Holy Spirit is doing in us is what the Bible calls “quench[ing] the Spirit” (1 THESSALONIANS 5:19). Over time, things we once knew were wrong become not quite as bad. Pretty soon they become normal. All because we deliberately ignored the warnings of the Holy Spirit. When our relationship with God seems distant and disconnected, this may be because we’ve been repeatedly brushing aside the Spirit’s voice or convictions. The longer this goes on, the harder it is to see where we’re going wrong. Thankfully, we can pray and ask God to show us our sin. If we turn away from sin and re-trust ourselves to Him, God will forgive us and help us to live under the influence of His Spirit within us.

GOD WILL ALWAYS TELL US EXACTLY WHERE WE’VE
GONE WRONG AND GET US BACK ON TRACK—IF WE ASK.

YouTh Edition – Our Daily Bread Ministries