The Tree Church Daily

Isaiah 53:1-6 (ESV)

Who has believed what he has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

Explanation:

This passage is a prophecy pointing to the coming Messiah, who we now know to be Jesus. The people during this time were waiting for their Savior to come and rescue them. But I imagine the words Isaiah spoke and the imagery he gave were not what they were hoping for or expecting. They were looking for a mighty warrior, big in stature, ready to come in to fight and save the day. Yet we know that Jesus was completely different. He was not a “mighty warrior”, but instead a meek and humble King. He was full of compassion, love, grace, and kindness. He came to seek out the broken, to save the lost, and redeem people. He spoke truth always with love. He didn’t fight in the physical, but instead took our sins, shame, and punishment. He fought and won for us in the spiritual, which was exactly what we all needed. His punishment brought us peace and healing. He was not the Messiah they were looking for: He was so much better.

We get the best-case scenario for living in the time that we do. We can read the stories of the way God the Father was faithful in the Old Testament. How He always did what was necessary to bring His people back to Him. We see how His hand was moving and working. We have the ability to learn more about who Jesus was. We get to read the accounts of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection. We are able to look to Him as our example.

And God could have stopped there, but He didn’t. We have access to the power of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit leads, guides, and directs us. Our goal is becoming more like Jesus, and we have the Holy Spirit to help us accomplish that.

Application:

1. Why do you think the Holy Spirit is always pointing us back to Jesus?

2. In what ways do you want/need to become more like Jesus?

3. Take time every day this week to seek and ask the Holy Spirit to empower you in those areas. Journal the ways in which you see the Holy Spirit helping you.

Prayer:

God, I am so thankful that we live in a time where we have the example of Jesus in our lives. It is our greatest desire to be more and more like Him every day. We know this is only possible with the power of the Holy Spirit moving and working in our lives. Help us to seek You and to be open to allowing the Spirit to change us. May we continue to look to You to lead, guide, and direct every step of our lives. Thank you so much for gifting us with Your Spirit. Amen.

Luke 11:5-13 (NLT)

Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Explanation:

God always answers prayer.

~Always~

✔️ Yes

✔️ No

✔️ Wait

Some things we pray about are answered in an hour.

Other answers to prayer require a process, because the answer depends on something so deep, it will transform us.

When Luke admonishes us to pray an importunity prayer that requires asking, seeking, and knocking, we can bet it’s for something bigger than a good parking spot.

As a teen, I was keenly aware there was a family trait I longed not to have.

In my adult years, I realized it takes more than “just a want” to change a pattern. I needed something outside of myself to alter what had essentially been placed in my emotional DNA in my formative years. I began to pray. I asked the Lord to help me not be “that.” As I journeyed on in my young adult years, I continued to ask, and then I started seeking. I scoured the Bible, committed verses to memory, read topical books, listened to teaching, took notes, and studied the lives of people who seemed to model my hopes.

Over the many years of my life, the process of asking and seeking became knocking.

I became more persistent in my desire to overcome. There is something good about desperation, because it will motivate you to lean into the pain. God led me to skilled counselors, wise friends, and many other layers of healthy influence.

Just like an onion, with the Holy Spirit’s help, I peeled the layers…repeating the asking, seeking, and knocking sequence at every setback. It has taken effort and surrender to break that bend, but with God’s help, the process worked. I’m confident I was the generation to change that for my sons, but it’s a testimony instead of a statistic only because of God leading me through those developing steps. Yes, He could have zapped it right out of me on the first ask, but I am forever grateful the Holy Spirit led me into truth the rich way.

Along the journey of fighting “that,” I learned so much about God’s power in all the little dark corners of my broken heart. His loving excavation process drew me close to Him.

I am forever changed by His precious leading.

In the asking, I absorbed His viewpoint.

In the seeking, He taught me new skills.

In the knocking, I gained power!

He is so faithful.

Application:

1. It is not uncommon for someone to make a joyful announcement, followed by, “God answered my prayer!” What could be flawed in that understanding?

2. Unlearning patterns is a miracle that requires the power of God. Have you ever asked the Holy Spirit to help you unlearn something? He will.

Prayer:

Remind us Lord…

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

Teach me, Lord, to wait. Ame

Romans 15:18-19 (NLT)

Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.

Explanation:

“Know your place.” Oftentimes when we hear this phrase, it carries a negative warning to someone not to step outside the role they have been given. Here, Paul is explaining to the new Christians in Rome how perfectly he knows his place. He takes credit only for being the messenger while God has supernaturally been preparing their hearts. His Spirit uniquely readies each of us to receive the life-saving message of Jesus at the perfect time and place. Paul acknowledges that God’s Spirit does everything for him, by allowing him to speak boldly with protection and persuasion, but also by opening the hearts of the people to receive his message. Paul admits only to pointing the Gentiles in the right direction, which allowed him to bring the message of Jesus all the way to northwestern Greece, where Jesus wasn’t known or worshipped. This happened because Paul was willing.

So what is our role, our “place”? If you haven’t heard or been open to the Good News of Jesus, your role is just that: begin by opening your ears and your heart to the people God has placed in your life to bring you His message. Be willing to listen, and the Holy Spirit will begin His work in you, even if you still have doubts or questions. His power is limitless, and your life or situation is no exception!

For those of us who have heard and believed that Jesus is the One True Way, our job is to be ready for the work He wants to do through us. If, like Paul, we acknowledge that we are vessels for His Spirit, we can enjoy a life of blessing as time and time again, He uses us in ways and with people we could never have imagined in our own strength. Our lives should be so filled with Christ that they create a thirst in others for the Gospel!

Every time we seek God, He promises to equip us with everything we need to do the work He has called us to do in His Name. Secondly, He is orchestrating things in our life to coincide perfectly with what He is doing outside our lives. He is a Good Father who loves His children independently AND together, and the next best news to Jesus is that God’s Spirit can use unholy people like us to do His holy work on earth!

Application:

1. What work is God’s Spirit preparing you for? Maybe it is something entirely new, or maybe it is the next step in an otherwise very long journey. Whatever it is, let Paul’s words give you hope and courage to step out in faith today!

2. Ask His Spirit to move in you, overpowering every instinct, every emotion you may have to the contrary. Our tendency is to make it all about us and our weaknesses, BUT His word tells us that His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). So ask Him specifically to fully use your weaknesses to bring about His desired result in you and others.

3. Seek God for who He wants you to pray for this week, then sit back and watch what happens when you do. Go where His Spirit leads, but be in awe of how He does all the heavy lifting. Be a person who wants to be used by God, and see His miracles unfold before you!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, how amazing to think that You don’t need us, but you still use us every day. What an honor it is to share You with others. Help us be bold and courageous to do so this week; You promise to equip us fully for every good work, so let us rest in this truth. Thank You for loving us so. In Your Son’s Precious Name. Amen.

Acts 4:23-31 (NIV)

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“‘Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth rise up

and the rulers band together

against the Lord

and against his anointed one.

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Explanation:

Most Biblical scholars believe the book of Acts was written by Luke to dispel prejudice against Christianity and help pave the way for Christians to spread the gospel. If you are reading this, the gospel is being brought to you through the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s the greatest message ever told.

Peter and John had just been called out by the Sadducees for healing a lame beggar in Jesus’ name. They were threatened to no longer speak in His name. The church had just been banned! The men responded by asking the Sadducees if they should obey them, or God? Bravely, they stated they choose to obey God. The men were let go with a warning to take back to their Christian community. Imagine what it must have been like for Peter and John to confront the same religious leaders who had just crucified Jesus. They must have been terrified, thinking, “This is it. This is the day we die.” When they returned to other church members in Jerusalem, they told them of what had occurred. This generated an impromptu prayer meeting.

What exactly did they pray, though? They must have prayed for God to blind the enemy or to keep them protected when they spoke of Jesus, right? No. In their holy huddle, they asked God for boldness when preaching the word. They were afraid they would no longer be able to tell of the miracles and love of Jesus. They were not concerned about self-preservation. They asked the Holy Spirit to fill them with courage to keep on preaching. They reminded themselves of who God is: sovereign, powerful, and in control.

Many people neglect to proclaim the gospel through their daily lives. Though they are Christians, their commitment doesn’t translate. We live in a country where Christianity is under attack, but we aren’t persecuted like the apostles. We certainly have opportunities to share the Good News, and our behavior should reflect this. The apostles didn’t change their plan when they encountered opposition. They prayed for strength. Each time we pray, we have His ear. There is comfort in prayer because it’s not a one-way relationship. We all need boldness from the Holy Spirit. When was the last time you prayed specifically for strength, courage, and boldness when sharing the gospel?

Application:

1. Pray daily for boldness and courage to share God’s Word.

2. Practice sharing God’s Word with others. This world is upside down. Many people are scared and need to hear about the hope God offers them!

3. Invite people to Easter services at The Tree Church. Invitation cards are located at Connection Central.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your sovereignty. Remind us that You are in control of the details. We are Your servants, Lord. Use us and give us courage and boldness when we talk about You, so others may be saved. Amen.

For Further

1 Kings 18:41-46 (NLT)

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!”

So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.

Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”

“The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”

Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”

Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”

And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.

Explanation:

How’d we get here? Back in 1 Kings 18:1, God told Elijah to go meet Ahab because God is going to send rain to their land. We join them in this passage with Elijah telling Ahab that he needs to get something to eat before the rains come. Elijah prayed anyway, knowing that it was God’s will to send rain, but Elijah didn’t know the timing of its arrival—so he prayed for God to do what God had already promised.

Imagine being the servant who gets sent seven times to look for rain out on the horizon, but seeing nothing until the seventh time. He had to be exhausted. The seventh time, though, the servant saw the rain cloud coming. Elijah knew if he didn’t warn Ahab to leave, Ahab would be trapped in floodwaters. What happened next was the supernatural physical strength given to Elijah. He led the way for Ahab, who was in a chariot with a team of horses, and ran ahead of the chariot all the way to Jezreel. You may be thinking, “so what, Elijah ran ahead of him, why is this a big deal?”

First, let’s remember that he ran ahead of a team of horses. Depending on the breed, horses can run between 27 and 50 mph. Then there’s the human factor; Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest runner, ran 100 meters at a pace of 27 mph in a race in 2009. Elijah not only ran at least that fast, he did it from Mt. Carmel to Jezreel, a distance of a little over 30 miles. Let’s level-set for just a moment if you don’t see where this is going. No human, in their own physical being, has ever been known to sustain a pace that is faster than a team of horses for over 30 miles. The only explanation is that God placed His hand on Elijah and allowed him to become superhuman that day in order to protect Ahab.

This story causes me to pause and reflect. How many times have I prayed for God to do His will, but then I stop expecting God to really do His will? I allow my expectations to be constrained by the things of the physical, forgetting that God still does things that are much more than I can see. He works in the realm of the spiritual on a higher level than my brain can comprehend, and I find myself surprised when He acts in a way that only He can to make things happen. If I ask God to “go before” me, I have to understand that He is working in more than the physical. He is the Lord our God, the One who is able.

Application:

1. God gave Elijah great abilities in this passage, and Ahab was witness. Why do you think Ahab didn’t just ask Elijah to “hop in” his chariot and ride with him?

2. When you pray and ask God to make a way, and He reveals to you that He has a plan, do you stop praying for that plan to come to fruition? Or do you continue to pray like Elijah did, knowing that it is going to happen (because God told him so).

Prayer:

God, I come to You today asking for Your hand to go before me in all that I do. I pray that as You reveal things to me, I continue to pray until they’ve come to pass, knowing that You want me to keep praying

1 Samuel 16:10-13 (NASB)

So Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the boys?” And he said, “The youngest is still left, but behold, he is tending the sheep.” So Samuel said to Jesse, “Send word and bring him; for we will not take our places at the table until he comes here.”

So he sent word and brought him in. Now he was reddish, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel set out and went to Ramah.

Explanation:

Samuel is on a quest to find the next king of Israel, replacing King Saul. God has chosen David to be that replacement.

In today’s reading, we learn three things about David. He was chosen by God, chosen to be the next king of Israel. He was anointed (which means set apart) by God to fill that position. Lastly, the Holy Spirit came upon him so that he had the power to carry out God’s plan for him as king.

This passage also gives us a picture of how God carries out all His plans here on Earth today. The Bible tells us that God’s plans cannot be thwarted (Job 42:2). God makes plans and then chooses who He wants to use to make those plans happen. God then anoints, or sets apart, a person’s life to have the capacity and skill, and to be at the right place at the right time, to carry them out. Finally, God gives His Holy Spirit to lead and empower those people to do what He wants done.

We shouldn’t live in fear of what God’s plans are for us. He has specifically chosen us for those plans. We cannot fail because they are God’s plans, and anything He plans will come to fruition. We shouldn’t feel uncertain because of a lack of something in us, because God has set us apart, designated us, given us life experiences, and designed and shaped us to be able do the tasks He has chosen us to do. We shouldn’t feel anxious because God has given us His Holy Spirit to empower us to do these very tasks, to carry out these very plans. We cannot fail because God’s plans cannot fail. He is involved every step along the way, and it will happen as He designed it to happen.

Application:

1. Look back over your life. Think of the education you received or the relationships you've had or even the jobs you've worked at. What were some of the challenges you've overcome? What were some of the difficult circumstances you went through?

2. God uses everything from your past as building blocks to make you qualified to do the job He has chosen for you. How does understanding this truth help you to take advantage of the opportunities God places before you?

Prayer:

God, as we strive to learn Your plans for us, help us to approach them with the confidence that they are Your plans, and nothing can thwart them.

1 Samuel 10:9-11 (ESV)

When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day. When they came to Gibeah, behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, “What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Explanation:

In 1 Samuel 10, the prophet Samuel was declaring to Saul God’s calling on his life to rule over Israel. This was not something Saul had a desire for, or an interest in. Samuel anointed Saul and told him of the things to come so that Saul would believe in God’s calling. When Saul went to leave, the scripture says “God gave him another heart.” God changed Saul’s heart to be prepared for the role he was placed in, and allowed him to be made new in God’s plan. When Saul met with the prophets, the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied just as Samuel had said. When the people saw Saul prophecy, they saw the difference in him. The people saw the fruit from God giving Saul a new heart.

When we allow and ask for God to give us a new heart and to pour out His spirit, He does. When God calls us to places or roles where we feel inadequate, He provides and gives us everything we need. Seeing the transformation within Saul from the moment he wasn’t even thinking about ruling to the when we see him becoming the first king of Israel, we can be reminded of the power of God to fulfill His promises and to provide for His people. When God gives us a new heart, the fruit of our actions will proclaim His blessings.

Application:

1. Where is God calling you right now?

2. Why is it important to ask God for His presence, and to ask Him to change our hearts?

3. How can you ask God to lead you and guide you in the areas He is calling you?

Prayer:

God, thank You for being a God who is with us and who promises to pour out Your Spirit. Thank You for being a God who calls us to further Your kingdom, but also loves us enough to provide us with the tools to do things well. Lord, give us a new heart to live out Your ministry here on earth. Give us a new heart to obey where You are calling us, and allow us to trust that You will help us. Lord, we love You and we thank You for the blessing of serving Your Kingdom. Amen.

Numbers 11:21-29 (The Message)

Moses said, “I’m standing here surrounded by 600,000 men on foot and you say, ‘I’ll give them meat, meat every day for a month.’ So where’s it coming from? Even if all the flocks and herds were butchered, would that be enough? Even if all the fish in the sea were caught, would that be enough?” God answered Moses, “So, do you think I can’t take care of you? You’ll see soon enough whether what I say happens for you or not.”

So Moses went out and told the people what God had said. He called together seventy of the leaders and had them stand around the Tent. God came down in a cloud and spoke to Moses and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy leaders. When the Spirit rested on them they prophesied. But they didn’t continue; it was a onetime event.

Meanwhile two men, Eldad and Medad, had stayed in the camp. They were listed as leaders but they didn’t leave camp to go to the Tent. Still, the Spirit also rested on them and they prophesied in the camp.

A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”

Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ right-hand man since his youth, said, “Moses, master! Stop them!” But Moses said, “Are you jealous for me? Would that all God’s people were prophets. Would that God would put his Spirit on all of them.”

Explanation:

There are so many things in life that we need to qualify for to receive: promotions, awards, achievements, mortgages, teams. While that concept isn’t always bad, it has taught us to operate on a performance basis in life. My favorite line from the verses above is when Moses says, “Would that all God’s people were prophets. Would that God would put his Spirit on all of them.” Joshua was concerned that the two leaders Eldad and Medad who were prophesying in the camp would take away from Moses’ status or leadership. Moses opposes that thought and tells them that his desire is for ALL to receive the Spirit of God and for ALL to prophesy. He’s not limiting the gift of the Holy Spirit to just himself or a select few. He wants ALL to receive this gift. We should want the same.

The gift of the Holy Spirit isn’t limited to the most popular, the person with the most money, the one who has achieved the most in life, the most successful, the strongest, the most talented, the person who has it all together, or the person with the ideal marriage or family…. He is available to ALL. We should all desire the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life, and the gifts that come from Him. The gifts include but aren’t limited to the ability to prophesy (encourage and lift up), speak in tongues (a personal prayer language used for edification), wisdom, discernment, comfort, and peace. Don’t those sound like tools you would want to have in your life? I hope so, because the Holy Spirit within us is life changing!

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to come into your life. Ask Him to dwell within you and to give you the gifts that He offers. Be open to receiving His gifts. It might seem scary at first, but once you receive the Holy Spirit, you will never want to do life without Him!

Application:

1. Have you ever felt that you had to qualify yourself before approaching God?

2. Have you asked the Holy Spirit to fill you? If not, what is holding you back?

3. From the list above, what do you feel that you need most from the Holy Spirit right now?

Prayer:

God, THANK YOU for Your Holy Spirit! What a gift You are to our lives. Help us to receive this gift, and to not feel the need to “achieve” something before asking. Thank You that it is Jesus who has qualified us, and that we have access to You. May all who read this prayer be open to receiving the Holy Spirit within them. We love You, Lord! Amen.

Galatians 5:16-23 (ESV)

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Explanation:

I’ve read and applied this passage wrong for years. I’ve tried growing my love and continuously producing joy for others. I’ve attempted to have peace, holding it like a Band-Aid on top of my gaping frustration when life didn’t go as I pictured it. I’ve undertaken to grow my patience and ended up with a teeth-clenched, foot-tapping, white-knuckled version of waiting on God to move at my prescribed speed limit. I’ve even hand-cut a construction paper tree with “The Fruits of the Spirit” on our kitchen wall, and made my children focus on growing their fruits better!

The problem is, my own fruit never stuck around long. I would make some gains in the peace department before I turned around and lost my temper again. I would feel proud of loving my family well that morning only to find myself instigating a spirited disagreement with my husband that evening. What was I doing wrong? I must not be TRYING hard enough. And on and on this cycle would go, producing fruit as flimsy as the construction paper I’d written it down on.

Does this sound at all familiar to you? Have you been trying to grow some fruit for God, too, only to find that it didn’t withstand the stressors of everyday life for very long? Well, the good news is the answer was right in front of us all along… it’s the fruit of THE SPIRIT! The Bible never said WE would start magically producing our own fruit, if people would just leave us alone long enough. It’s fruit that ONLY the Spirit of God can produce!

Moment-to-moment dependence on Him and accessing His life-giving Spirit is the only thing that will allow HIS fruit to flourish in the soil of OUR hearts. It’s a small switch of perspective and understanding, but it produces a huge change! It’s the difference between our own flimsy achievements and His powerful anointing, between us striving versus us accessing. Only if we allow His Spirit to course His life through us can we have hope of bearing any real and lasting fruit. And the beauty of it is that the fruit remains HIS! We don’t have to create what we think looks like peace and joy. If we “follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives” (Galatians 5:25), He promises that we will see the results of HIS FRUIT: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”!

Application:

1. Do you have a living, vital, heart-to-heart, growing relationship with the Holy Spirit?

2. How can you allow yourself to be better led by the Spirit throughout your day and “in every part” of your life?

3. John 15:5b (AMP) says “…The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me… [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.” What area in your life needs a more vital union with Him? Make it a point this week, whenever this area comes up, to pray to the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you in that moment, and watch for the results!

Prayer:

God, I can’t do any of this life on my own. I need You, Holy Spirit, to breathe life into the soil of my heart. I want to produce good fruit! Help me to listen and be led by You throughout my day, in every part of i

Acts 16:6-10 (NLT)

Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.

That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.

Explanation:

For the Christ follower, few things are more disappointing than watching God close a door that looked so promising. When our hopes are dashed, we can get discouraged quickly, in spite of receiving the requisite encouragement from others that when God closes one door, He always…well, you know the rest.

If you are certain God closed a door in your life, you can assume a couple things up front—you’re seeking God’s best for your life (or you wouldn’t be praying for His guidance), and you obeyed the last thing He told you (or you wouldn’t be hearing Him clearly right now). So, take heart in the well-intentioned advice of your fellow believers. If Paul and Silas had not listened to the Holy Spirit, the groundwork for the church in Philippi would not have been laid at that time, nor would the Philippian jailer and his household have been saved. If you are truly following Jesus, He may thwart your plans in a heartbeat for the sake of one lost soul. Are you good with that?

Wait patiently for God and keep obeying what the Holy Spirit says. As surely as Paul met up with Luke in Troas (Acts 16:10), God will provide the help you need to accomplish what lies ahead on the other side of your open door!

Application:

1. Are you currently in the middle of a closed-door experience?

2. What’s the connection between obeying the last thing God spoke to you and being able to hear Him clearly right now?

Prayer:

Lord God, I want only what You want for my life. Close whatever doors need closed for You to accomplish Your plans, and give me the grace I need to trust You every step of the way. Amen.