The Gift of the Holy Spirit

My wife and I married at 20 years old. Like many young newlyweds, we barely had two nickels to rub together, plus an apartment full of hand-me-down furnishings that needed constant fixes. However, all I had was a screwdriver and rusty hammer! But when I went to the hardware store to buy proper tools my jaw hit the floor at how expensive they were. So, a screwdriver and rusty hammer it was.

That Christmas, my mother- and father-in-law blessed me with nice tools I could never have afforded. I still remember how helpful and financially generous that gift was.

Have you ever had someone give you an amazing, or thoughtful gift? In today’s verse, we see the promise of one of the greatest gifts in history.

After resurrecting, Jesus spent 40 days with the disciples proving he was alive and teaching them about God’s kingdom. Then in Acts 1:4 we read:

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about…”

Let’s focus on the word “gift,” which in the original Greek (epangelia) is often translated as promise. When God gives gifts, they are outrageously good. For instance, eternal life is a pretty great gift (Romans 6:23)!

This gift was the Holy Spirit, who was about to fill the disciples and change the course of history, the Church, and our relationship with God forever.

Why is the Holy Spirit a gift? For starters he is our:

• Helper (John 14:26)
• Power (Acts 1:8)
• Convicter (John 16:8)
• Teacher (Luke 12:14; John 14:26)
• Hope giver (Romans 15:13)

…and we could go on and on.

Cherish the gift of the Holy Spirit today and take full advantage of his power in your life. The Spirit of the Creator of the Universe dwells in you and wants to work through you!

Today’s devotion by Jordan Loftis, bestselling author of Today We Win, host of The Bible Better Podcast, and editor of Short Daily Devotions.