Listen to this devotion
OUT of Darkness INTO the LIGHT OF JESUS!
The HOLY SPIRIT keeps us focused on Jesus, our comfort and joy!
In the Word
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”(John 20:19).
Of the Word
When a dear one dies, fear and despair lurk at our heart’s door. That must be how the disciples felt when Jesus died. Huddled behind locked doors, the temptation to give up hope was strong.
But the night before Jesus was crucified, He promised, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God. … He remains with you and is in you. … you will not be left all alone” (John 14:16, 17a, 17c, 18a GNT). And then — the resurrected Lord Jesus Himself came to that locked room to reassure the disciples before He returned to heaven.
Present-day disciples cling to the same promise. The same Holy Spirit lives with us and in us. The Spirit comes to us in God’s Word and Sacraments. The Spirit creates faith and trust. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13 NIV).
Walking with my Lord
Lord Jesus, thank You for the Holy Spirit. By Your Spirit’s power I know You and trust You. Forgive me when my faith falters and I feel afraid and hopeless. Renew me each day with the warmth of Your love. In Your name I pray. Amen.
Mustard Seed: Walking with My Lord. Author: Donna Streufert. 12/30 ©2007 Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, 801 Seminary Place Ste. L010, St. Louis, MO 63105. www.lwml.org
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations marked (GNT) are from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version- Second Edition Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
