What a sweet picture—and a copy of how God, our Heavenly Father, wants to hold onto our hands always guiding, comforting, instructing and strengthening us in our lives. 

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Daddy’s with their new babies are absolutely wonderful to watch.  They so want to protect, help, and guide their child—not wanting anything to hurt ‘their baby’.  Many parents today have monitors placed in their baby’s room so they can hear every sound they make.  If it were possible, many Daddy’s would like to have permanent monitors hooked to their precious girls so they could always help them.  

Even though our human fathers can’t be with us continually, nothing is impossible with God.  He has done this for us.  This built in monitor is called the Holy Spirit.  He is the third person of the trinity.   

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God the Father wants to give us power from heaven to help us.  He never intended for us to ‘go it alone’.  Each of us decides if we need and want our Heavenly Father’s help.  Letting our independent spirits keep us from all the advantages of this most fantastic, God-given gift will hurt our lives.

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Let’s learn more about the Spirit.

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When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane his disciples ran away in fear.  When he was crucified they hid out in fear.  Jesus knew that they needed power, an inner strength.  Just knowing Jesus face to face wasn’t enough for them to be able to face the trials of the world.  Jesus knew they needed something else—a power from heaven.  Before the people ever asked, Jesus was prepared to send this gift to those that believed in Him. (Luke 24:49)

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In 2 Timothy 1:7 we are told that the Holy Spirit is not a spirit of fear or timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind.  Oh, how wise is the Lord, knowing how fearful and trembling we can become at times.  And, how loving and considerate of Him to send us a gift of power to strengthen and encourage our inner being. (Acts 9:31)

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The Spirit gives us power to witness by our life and our words to other people (Acts 1:8-14), and it gives us power to turn from our sinful nature and its evil deeds. (Romans 8:13-16)  The Spirit’s power works within us, in our inner being. (Ephesians 3:16-20)  The fruit of the Spirit, or what the Spirit will produce in a person’s life, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

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Taking these verses, we can conclude that the Holy Spirit gives us power.  This power enables us to change!  This change is awesome—it makes us better people!  It gives us the power to overcome a bad temper or an addiction.  It gives us the power to overcome anything in our lives that is not of God.  Our selfishness, self-centeredness, and our lack of self-control can all be overcome through the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives.

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Because nothing is impossible with God, even if we think we are a rotten, mean, good-for-nothing jerk, God can change us.  Now the people of Ephesus might have had a hard time believing that God could really do all of that, because Paul addresses this power of the Holy Spirit in the early chapters of the book of Ephesians.  Ephesians 1:18-20 says the power of the spirit given to each of us is incomparable. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever.” 

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Let’s look at those verses closer.  Think hard—nothing can compare with the power that God wants to give each of us.  Even more than that, God is able to do more than we can think or imagine.  Yes, beloved sister, God has given you the power to change.  He wants us to be full of love and joy and peace.  He will empower us to be patient with our husbands, kids, and gatemen.  We can be kind, good, and gentle.  Our faithfulness and devotion can grow to unimaginable heights.  And self control—whoa—we can come to a point that we don’t blow up like a volcano.

 

Now let’s look at another phrase in Ephesians 3:20: “according to his power that is at work within us.”  According to our relationship with God, the Holy Spirit will have less or more power in our lives.  God is always with us, but each of us turns on or turns off God’s monitor.  The volume is never loud, and it is easy to ignore His quiet, still voice.  When we have turned on and tuned into the power of the Holy Spirit, He will do incredible things in our inner lives.  The Spirit empowers us to be bigger than the worst circumstances in our lives.  Words cannot explain how awesome it is to live in the power of the Holy Spirit!  May you choose to live tuned in and turned on to this fantastic gift from God.  The gift that will make your life better—so much better!

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"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,
who is in you, whom you have received from God.
You are not your own:
You were bought at a price.
Therefore, honor God with your body."
​1 Corinthians 6:19-20.