Sunday 28 May 2023

May 28: 1 Corinthians 12:3-11

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 12:6
There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Devotion:
When Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to the disciples, He came directly to them and they received The Spirit. When we receive the Spirit it is through Christ even though He is not physically with us – this was His promise to us, a promise He has kept! The most interesting part for me is how people change when they receive the spirit and these words here in the letter to the churches in Corinth give us a clue as to how people will change.

Each of us is a different person, created by God in His image and for His purpose. The Holy Spirit will work differently in each one of us because we are different and The Spirit will know what to do. As the words here show, all changes in us are for the common good and not to raise ourselves into any positions or elevate our status in any way – we become a vessel for the Holy Spirit to work through!

Some people will pick up wisdom in God’s Word, others great knowledge (yes there is a difference between wisdom and knowledge), some the gift of healing others, others seemingly miraculous powers. Some will be able to pick out evil spirit whilst others will be able to talk in languages others cannot figure out except for a select few whom the Spirit chooses.

Each one of these does not come from different spirits but the same Holy Spirit we all get to receive. Each of us will see different things happen in our lives and this is all done when the Spirit determines what is best for us. We could wait a long time before we get to know what the Spirit has chosen for us… But our task is not to question God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit, but to accept what they give us and to use that to the best of our ability!

Points to Ponder:
How different did you feel after accepting Christ as Saviour?

Are you listening to and obeying the Holy Spirit?