Tag Archive | Holy Spirit

The Gentleness of Wisdom

Jul30

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
James 3:13 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.13.NASB1995

Gentleness of wisdom is humbleness in serving, teaching, mentoring, living – in all we do. We are not to boast of the wisdom we have because wisdom is from God Himself.

For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 2:6 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.2.6.NASB1995

🌹But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.1.5.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon https://indasharonjesus.org

Fruit Bearing Heart

Jul29

Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?
Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
James 3:11-12 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.11-12.NASB1995

The mouth reveals what’s in the heart,
for the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. Jesus said, “I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Jesus said you will know others by the fruit they bear. Every good tree will bear good fruit, but a bad tree will bear bad fruit. We bear the fruit of what resides in us.
Matthew 12:34b, 36-37/Matthew 7:16-18, NASB1995 (Paraphrase)

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
John 15:4 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.15.4.NASB1995

Who resides in you? Jesus our “I”?

🌹Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
John 15:2 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.15.2.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Parable of The Sower

Jul28

Matthew 13:3-9; Mark 4:3-9; Luke 8:5-8

The parable of the sower must be a very important story for it to be recorded three times in the Bible.

I had the privilege last week to share from the book of Matthew this parable with 35 children ages 9-12. At the end of the week they were asked, “Which heart are you?”.

Verses 3-4: The hard heart. Hears but doesn’t listen so as to apply it to the heart.

Verses 5-6: The stony or rocky heart. Receives the word with great joy but no roots in the word of God are grown so it dies.

Verse 7: The heart of thorns. This heart hears but selfish desires and fears choke out the word.

These three hearts bear no fruit for the kingdom of God.

Verse 8: The healthy heart of good soil hears, understands, and does good works, bearing fruit for God’s kingdom.

God makes our heart good so we understand His word and produce fruit. The fruit begins in us by the Spirit of God. We understand and grow spiritually by His word. We obey God’s word. We tell others about Jesus. We are a caring, loving person.

A heart that desires to know Jesus more and more everyday will grow in knowledge of His word and follow Him in obedience to His word.

Which soil are you?

🌹He who has ears, let him hear (listen).”
Matthew 13:9 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.13.9.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

My Exceeding Joy

Jul18

O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.
Psalms 43:3-4 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.43.3-4.NASB1995

🌹May God be your exceeding joy as you take time to dwell with Him, causing your heart to overflow with praise! Then let the light of His truth lead you through your day.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

P.S.  I will be away from internet access next week so I will probably not be able to respond back to you on next week’s devotions until the following week. Just know I appreciate your time to read, like, and remark on my posts. Have a wonderful week and may God bless you.
– Sharon

Ouch, That Stings!

Jul17

For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;
James 3:7-9 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.7-9.NASB1995

“With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men”; mankind created in the image of God.
(Genesis 1:27 NASB1995)

If that doesn’t sting . . . OUCH!

🌹from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
James 3:10 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.10.NASB1995

🙏Lord God, forgive me for speaking without thinking first. I ask forgiveness for words that have hurt instead of encouraged, torn down instead of building up, cursed instead of blessed. I pray my words would always bring honor and glory to Your name, in Whom I pray. Amen.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Fiery Tongue Defiles

Jul16

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!
And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.
James 3:5b-6 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.5-6.NASB1995

But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
Matthew 12:36 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.12.36.NASB1995

🌹For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.¹
Proverbs 26:20 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.26.20.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

¹Recommended reading: Proverbs 26:21-28

The Tongue Speaks the Heart

Jul15

For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in (word) what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
James 3:2 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.2.NASB1995

The tongue. An amazing organ of the body. It has several purposes but is most used for speaking. What rolls off the tongue can be painful, joyful, rude, nice, degrading, encouraging, etc. We have all been at both ends of words spoken, the speaker and the receiver. We are all guilty and all have been affected by words.

Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.
Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.
So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.
James 3:3-5a NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.2-5.NASB1995

The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
Matthew 12:34b NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.12.34.NASB1995

What are you filling your heart with?

🌹For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:37 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.12.37.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Confident Teaching

Jul14

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.
James 3:1 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.3.1.NASB1995

Those who teach should first teach themselves.
Do we try to teach others and yet do not adhere to the the Bible by following the ways of our Lord?
A teachers goal in instruction is to love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Beware that we do not turn aside to fruitless discussion and speak of things we do not understand.
Romans 2:17-23/1 Timothy 1:5-8 NASB1995

God takes teaching others very seriously. Adherence to God’s Word, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is of utmost importance for teachers, for they will incur a greater condemnation.

🌹Rejoice that God has chosen you to be a teacher. Just be aware it comes with high expectations. Rely upon the Master.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Boasting in The Lord

Jul11

Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;

but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jer.9.23-24.NASB1995

🙏Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. Psalms 36:5, 7 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.36.5-7.NASB1995

. . . may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Galatians 6:14 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/gal.6.14.NASB1995

Amen.

🌹But he who boasts is to boast in the Lord.
2 Corinthians 10:17 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/2co.10.17.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon https://indasharonjesus.org

Faith, Works, Justified Part 2

Jul10

Jericho is conquered. (Joshua 6:1-21)
Joshua upheld the word of his spies.

Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the harlot’s house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her.” So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab, her family and her other relatives and placed them outside the camp of Israel.
Rahab with her father’s household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
Joshua 6:22-25 NASB1995

By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
Hebrews 11:31 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/heb.11.31.NASB1995

Rahab, who was a harlot in Jericho, is part of the lineage of Jesus. (Matthew 1:5)

🌹It’s not about where you came from, your past, or your abilities or inabilities. It’s about what God can and will do with a surrendered heart of faith willing to work in obedient faith for His purpose and glory.

Jesus is the One who justifies.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org