“Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie                                  

http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht   

“Homily Grits Devotional”   http://www.homilygrits.com/

Galatians 5:22-23…  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  (NKJV)

All Christians have been predestined by God to be conformed into the image of Jesus Christ…Romans 8:29…  The brand new Christian is given the 9 fruit of the Spirit by God (Galatians 5:22-23), at the same time God gives them the Holy Spirit, as a lifelong Helper…John 14:26…  These 9 Spiritual fruit are “Christ like” attributes, which should steadily mature in the life of a Christian who is constantly striving to grow in their spiritual maturity…

But for the Christian to grow in spiritual maturity, they must spend time in the Word of God…   Just like newborn babies’ desires milk at first…so too, should the Christian have the “desire ”to feed on God’s Word…1 Peter 2:1-2… Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ² as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,  (NKJV)

This “desire ”should from with-in the new Christian, as they become a new creation in Christ…2 Corinthians 5:17… Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, heis a new creation; old things have passedaway; behold, all things have become new.  (NKJV)    As you can see from the Apostle Peter’s scripture above, all the sins listed when one was still an unredeemed sinner, should have been put behind the new Christian…  This doesn’t mean the new Christian won’t sin…but there should definitely be a monumental change in the priorities and the way of living in the new Christian’s life… 

We learn from the Bible that this turning from one’s sins, into “a new creation” that is to be growing in the Lord, doesn’t always take place…  The Apostle Paul experienced this with the Corinthian believers, who had allowed their former sins and their carnal flesh to re-gain control of the Holy Spirit…  The Apostle Paul pens this to them, in disappointment…

1 Corinthians 3:2-4… I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and evennow you are still not able; ³ for you are stillcarnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?  (NKJV)

The writer of Hebrews had this to say about spiritual immaturity, in…Hebrews 5:12-14…  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the firstprinciples of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes onlyof milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. ¹⁴ But solidfood belongs to those who are of fullage, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.  (NKJV)

The diligent, obedient Christian opens up God’s Word and digests it…  God’s Word is food for the soul…and must be read and digested (hopefully daily), just like Jesus tells us, in…Matthew 4:4… But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by everyword that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (NKJV)

People tell me they don’t understand scripture…  The Apostle James tells us this, in…James 1:5-8… If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For letnot that man suppose that he will receiveanything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.  (NKJV)

I find that when I pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth from God’s Word, before I open and spend Q/T reading my Bible…that scripture definitely becomes more understandable…  I can personally attest to a Christian’s mortal lack of understanding scripture…when the Holy Spirit is not in total charge of the Christian’s life…  I spent a day writing about this unbelievable difference in understanding God’s Word…before and after I was filled with the Holy Spirit…   This amazing difference of understanding scripture, with the Holy Spirit in control…can be read about at the following link… https://godsmanforever.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/gods-group-thoughts-for-7152012-help-in-understanding-the-bible/

This positive proof in my own life, should give pause for anyone who doesn’t understand God’s Word…  The Apostle Paul pens this, in…1 Corinthians 2:9-11… But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” ¹⁰ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so noone knows the things of Godexcept the Spirit of God.  (NKJV)

If you are a Christian, it could be as simple as confessing and repenting of your sins before the Lord…to again be made righteous in His sight…1 John 1:9…  But without the Holy Spirit, that only Christians have been given by God…the deep things in the Bible will never be revealed…  The Apostle Paul tells us this, in…1 Corinthians 2:14… But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  (NKJV)

Growth in spiritual wisdom and knowledge can only be instilled with-in the Christian, as they meditate on God’s Word…Joshua 1:8-9…  And God’s Word can only be truly understood, when the Holy Spirit is left unconstrained, and in full control of the Spirit filled Christians life…   Only He can help the Christian understand “the deep things of God”…   Even so…there will be nuggets of treasure God will only reveal to the diligent Christian, when He sees fit…

Heavenly Father, I for one am ever so thankful for the help that the Holy Spirit provides me in all areas of my life, when I am surrendered to His control…  Help all of us Lord, in whatever state of spirituality we find ourselves in…to put our faith and trust in You…and then remain submitted to Your will and Your ways…  I pray for this fullness of Christ for all of us, in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen… 

Blessings in Christ,  bruce r mills