"I am the light of the world..."
[John 8:12]
When I was in grade school and we first started lifting weights for off season I remember not being able to bend my elbows because my biceps were so sore.
I could barely fix my hair.
My mom suggested that I take some of the weight off the bar, but that wasn’t possible because I was lifting only the bar… Mom’s counsel was good, but no help to my teenage noodle arms.
This week let’s unpack the next portion of Isaiah 11:2. “The Spirit of counsel and of might” also rested upon Jesus. The Holy Spirit filled Jesus and as He submitted to the Father the Spirit gave Him strength to overcome the flesh.
I am so thankful for the promise of the Holy Spirit to give us counsel and also the might, or strength, to overcome adversity and temptation.
When we think we have it all under control we can forget Who sustains us. Paul said, “when I am weak, then I am strong” and he knew hardship after being saved. He had been in prison and even described a “thorn in the flesh”.
The Holy Spirit is our counsel and gives us direction.
In those moments we feel the most vulnerable and weak, we can let hope arise because it is then we allow the strength of God to hold us up.
The holidays are sometimes hard. Maybe things aren’t what they once were, maybe things have changed permanently, or maybe the dread of that happening dims the lights a little.
I would like to remind you that Jesus is The Light. He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us to give us counsel and might.
That very Light is in us!
Today I pray you shine bright, even brighter if you’re feeling weak.
Dig Deeper
Psalm 121:1-2 | Nehemiah 8:10 | Exodus 15:2 | Isaiah 40:29 |2 Corinthians 12:10