Galatians 5:22, 23 - The Fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22, 23 (NLT) But the Holy Spirit
produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against
these things!
COMMENTARY PEARL
The gardener plants a seed and then
cultivates the land around it. He doesn't produce the
fruit, nor does he determine its exact shape and
size. In most cases, he also doesn't determine how
it will be prepared, what recipe it will
contribute to, or who will eat it. He simply plants the
seed and does everything he can to give it the
right conditions to grow.
That's how it is with the fruit of the
Spirit. We can't force these Kingdom attributes by
focusing on their size and shape, by scheduling how
they will be used and in what situations, or by
trying to control them by any other artificial or
arbitrary efforts. All we can do is tend to the seeds
and the conditions. God does the rest.
But most of us don't approach them that
way. We focus on developing patience, or we work
on demonstrating love, or we discipline
ourselves with self-control. The more biblical
approach is to throw ourselves fully into a
relationship with the Spirit without any attention to
developing the fruit. If we are thoroughly in
fellowship with Him, the fruit happens. We don't strive
for it, script it out, or dictate its forms. We
plant ourselves in Him and expect to grow.
When we say we need greater fruit of the
Spirit, what we really mean is that we need a deeper
experience with the Spirit. We don't need love, joy,
peace, and so on: we need Jesus. He is all of those
things, and He will produce them in us as we love
Him and enjoy His fellowship. Our
responsibility? Create the right conditions for His fruit to
grow in us. That means spending more time with
Him, asking Him to fill us continually, telling
Him what we love about Him, and willingly
yielding our hearts to Him. When we create those
conditions, it's impossible for fruit not to grow. The
Spirit thrives in conditions that honor and adore
the King. [The One Year Heaven On Earth
Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
COMMENTARY
LOVE
When a lawyer asked Jesus which
commandment was the greatest, He said, You shall love
the Lord your God with all you heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your mind, and
the second is like it, You shall love your
neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:37, 39). What an
overwhelming assignment!
In our own strength, none of us can live
up to this obligation, but the Lord has
provided a way for Christians to do the impossible.
The indwelling Holy Spirit works to produce His
fruit in us, and first on the list is love (Gal.
5:22). In fact, the other eight qualities are
really just descriptions of its expression.
Whenever we demonstrate kindness,
patience, or gentleness, we see the Lords love at
work through us, especially when the other person
has been unkind and doesnt deserve such
pleasant treatment. This fruit is not produced by
trying harder to muster good will toward someone
who is irritating or hard to get along with.
Instead, think of the process more like sap running
through a branch on a grape-vine. The branch
doesnt make grapes; the sap does. In the same way,
the Spirit flows through us, producing Gods
love in us, so that we can pass it on to Him and
others.
Agape love is the reason we are able to
care for someone who mistreats us"its
Gods doing, not ours. Even the adoration we offer
the Lord is not something that we can produce in
our own heart apart from His assistance. Though
the command to love is enormous, Gods grace
makes it possible. [In Touch Daily Devotional by
Charles Stanley at www.intouch.org]
JOY
The second fruit of the Spirit listed by
Paul is joy (Gl 5:22). It is no mere accident
that "joy" follows the first, love. Joy is a
byproduct of love. If you concentrate on getting joy,
it will elude you. But if you concentrate on
getting love, then joy will seek you out"you will
be automatically joyful.
The nine qualities of the fruit of the
Spirit are not natural attributes, but supernatural
ones. You cannot manufacture them"they just
appear in our lives as we allow the Holy Spirit to
have His way within us. I know many Christians
who find it difficult to embrace the fact that
the fruit of the Spirit is joy. They not only
don't expect joy"they don't want it. One grim
Christian said to me once: "At the heart of our faith
is a cross. This means we ought to be spending
our time weeping, not laughing."
Well, it is true that there is a cross at
the heart of the Christian faith and that
following Christ involves some rigorous self-denials,
but it does not alter"and cannot alter"the
fact that the fruit of the Spirit is joy. We
cannot deny that there is a good deal of suffering
in Christianity, but beneath the suffering is a
joy that will, if we allow it, burst upward
through everything. I am bound to say that if there
is no joy, there is no Christianity, for
Christianity is inherent joy. The empty tomb takes away
our empty gloom. We have an Easter morning in
our faith, and that means there is always a
reason to rejoice.
Father, I am so thankful that Your Holy
Spirit applies redemption right to the roots of my
being. Thus I can be glad even when I am sad. Thank
You, dear Father. Amen. [Every Day With Jesus
Bible with Selwyn Hughes devotional re Psa.
105:3]
Happiness and joy - these two words are
not as synonymous as they might seem at first
glance. Oh, they may feel a lot alike, but that's
where the similarity ends.
Consider that the root of the word
happiness is hap. And that simple word refers to luck,
chance, fate; to circumstances that come our way. We
can be happy when we get the job. We can be
happy when the news from the doctor is good. And
we can be happy when our team wins.
But joy frees us from sadness when we
don't get the job, when the news from the doctor
is not good, and when our team loses. That's
because pure joy comes not from circumstances but
from our love relationship with God. Our choice
to trust in His sovereign, gracious plan for
our lives sustains our hope in hard times, and
that gives us joy.
One more thing. The greater our love for
God, the greater will be our joy in Him. Grow
your love for God through Bible study and prayer,
worship and confession, praise and fellowship - and
see if your joy doesn't increase. Life is too
brief and harsh to squander even one day of it
joylessly. [Being Still With God Every Day by Henry
Blackaby re Psa. 5:11]
PEACE
Did you know that when you have lost your
peace of mind you have the power to regain it?
Anytime you find that you are worrying, fretful, or
anxious about anything, release the problem to God
through a simple heartfelt prayer and purposely
think about something in your life that is good!
Worrying is completely useless. It wears you out
mentally, emotionally, and physically and it doesn't
make your problem any better at all.
Peace of mind is valuable, and it is
quite impossible to enjoy life without it. Seek
and pursue the peace that is yours through Jesus
Christ. Don't be deceived into believing that you
can't help what you think, because you absolutely
can. You can change your mind about anything!
Practice 'on purpose' thinking instead of being
passive and merely waiting to see what thoughts fall
into your mind.
I can share with you that I experience
the same mental battles that many people do, and
I have to practice having peace on purpose.
You are a child of God, and His peace is in you.
I recommend that you start recognizing the
things that are stealing your peace and deal with
them so they can no longer torment you.
Father, I love You very much, and I want
to enjoy peace of mind. I know that worry is
useless, but I often do it and I am sorry. Work with
me and teach me how to trust You enough to
enjoy Your peace at all times. [My Time with God
by Joyce Meyer]
Our dog, Flash, is cross between a Jack
Russell terrier and a Chihuahua. He is cute and fast
and loves to play. He loves it when you throw
him the ball. He just has one problem. Once he
brings the ball back to you, he won't let it go.
You can tell he wants to give it to you as he
nudges it toward you. But as soon as you try and
pick it up, he snatches it and growls. Then he
looks at you, as if to say, "Why aren't you
playing with me?'
The dog has issues. So do I. That is
probably why I like him so much. I am just like
Flash, who worries over his toy, constantly moving
it around, never taking his eyes off it. This
is what I do with my problems. I cannot let
them go. I keep thinking about them, feeling sick
to my stomach. All the while, my eyes are on
Jesus and I am saying, "Why aren't You doing
anything about this? I keep bringing it to You.' I
bring my problem to Him. But I forget to let it
go. I forget to say, "I would like You to take
care of this, so I am placing it in Your hands."
When we pray, we are "tossing the ball.'
Laying our worries, our cares, our dreams at the
feet of Jesus. But it is only when we have
emptied our hearts and minds of our worries that He
can fill us up with His overwhelming peace that
passes all understanding. - Susanna Foth Aughtmon
[Mornings With Jesus 2019 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
PATIENCE
The fourth fruit of the Spirit listed by
Paul is patience. The King James Version uses the
word "longsuffering." Someone has suggested that
longsuffering is "love stretched out." It is so elastic
and tough that it doesn't break up into
impatience. It maintains a patient attitude amidst the
flux of human events.
Patience, however, must not be confused
with indifference. One group of people in ancient
history"the Stoics"made indifference a virtue. Some
people in the early centuries of the church tried
to Christianize this characteristic, but it
couldn't be done. A Christian is someone who cares.
Because we care, we suffer, but in the midst of
suffering, we discover the Spirit's enabling patience.
A woman, after finding Christ, went
through a time of great persecution from her family.
She said, "I have never been a patient woman,
but since Christ and the Holy Spirit came into
my life, He has turned me upside down and
inside out. I always had to have the last word, but
my last word is silence." Now, whenever she
says something, her family listens, because she
speaks out of the depth of silence. The Amplified
Bible presents Galatians 5:22 as, "But the fruit
of the Spirit [the work which His presence
within accomplishes] is patience." [Every Day
With Jesus Bible with Selwyn Hughes devotional re
Col. 3:12]
KINDNESS
Kindness is one proof of the Holy
Spirit's work in us. The more we give free rein to
the Spirit to transform our hearts, the more we
will overflow with kindness toward ourselves and
others.
It's common to have an inner critic that
speaks harshly about our body or our performance.
As we grow in kindness, the voice of that inner
critic will gradually decrease and a voice of kind
encouragement will get easier to hear. The encouraging
voice says that our bodies are temples of the Holy
Spirit and beloved by God. It says we are dearly
loved regardless of our performance.
The Bible says, "Therefore, as God's
chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12). As we know
more and more that we are dearly loved, kindness
will grow. As the Spirit fosters kindness in us,
we will look for ways to help others live well.
What opportunity for kindness do you have today?
Let the fruit of kindness grow in your
heart and in your interactions with others. [The
Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional]
GOODNESS
The Divine Goodness of Creation
When I think of goodness, I think of the
creation narrative in Genesis 1. The passage uses the
word good seven times"a number that alludes to
completeness or perfection throughout biblical
literature. Light and dark, skies and seas, stars, fish,
birds, and all the creatures of the land are each
created to be completely, perfectly good.
Imagine God, like a homeowner at
Christmas, hanging the wreaths, plugging in the lights,
standing back with his triune family . . . Then
God saw everything that He had made, and indeed
it was very good (Genesis 1:31).
Treating All of Creation with Divine Goodness
When you and I see everything that God
has made"from snakes to sunsets, friends to
foes"is it still a scene of complete awe?
Not usually.
But, as we invite the Holy Spirit to
abide with us and bear fruit in us, the Spirit
helps us see more and more of God, including the
divine goodness of his creation. And, upon seeing
his goodness, we respond by treating creation
with divine goodness.
Goodness doesnt mean naively calling
everything good in the sense of just or
right, because the Fall causes us to make choices
that are downright not right. Rather, goodness
means participating with God in the kingdom work
of calling everything back to good.
Goodness whispers into the lives of
friend, stranger, or enemy alike: You are
fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). And
goodness longs for that whisper to echo throughout
the persons life and into their thoughts,
feelings, and actions.
We have ample opportunity to practice
these whispers of goodness in day-to-day life.
Where I live, for instance, homeless men
and women often stand on the street corners or
approach me in parking lots. To be honest, I
consistently pass right on by. But once, when the first
cold weather of the year was coming in, I stopped
to talk with an aging homeless woman who
self-identified as Gangster Granny. She had braces on
both knees and a desperation in her voice
reminiscent of the woman reaching for Jesus garment
in Mark 5:25-29. I just want to get in out
of the cold tonight, maam, she pleaded.
Although hesitant to help at first, upon
looking her in the eye, I wanted her in out of the
cold too. So, one short car ride and one bus fare
later, I was sending her on her way to the local
Salvation Army, who had assured us over the phone that
there was room at the inn, so to speak.
I didnt think it all through at the
time, but God made Gangster Granny"her graying
hair and tired eyes and arthritic knees"and
called her good.
Through my own selfish nature and human
eyes, it was unfortunately difficult to call her
good.
Thankfully, the fruit of the Spirit is
goodness. So may we be fruitful, by the Spirits
help, in beholding the divine goodness of Gods
creation and treating it with divine goodness.
https://intervarsity.org/blog/fruit-spirit-goodness
In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul lists the
"fruit of the Spirit". Fruit, here, means
"beneficial results," the good things that come from the
Spirits indwelling. As the Holy Spirit works in our
lives, our character changes. Where we had harbored
selfishness, cruelty, rebelliousness, and spite, we now
possess love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Everything in the list reflects the character of God,
and goodness is one that relates directly to
morality.
Goodness is virtue and holiness in
action. It results in a life characterized by deeds
motivated by righteousness and a desire to be a
blessing. It's a moral characteristic of a
Spirit-filled person. The Greek word translated
goodness, agathosune, is defined as "uprightness of
heart and life." Agathosune is goodness for the
benefit of others, not goodness simply for the sake
of being virtuous.
Someone with agathosune will selflessly
act on behalf of others. Confronting someone
about a sin demonstrates goodness. So do giving to
the poor, providing for ones children,
visiting the sick, volunteering to clean up after a
storm, and praying for an enemy. Expressions of
goodness are as varied as the Spirit is creative.
Goodness is not a quality we can
manufacture on our own. James 1:17 says, "Every good
thing given and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights." This
certainly includes a life characterized by goodness.
In letting the Holy Spirit control us, we are
blessed with the fruit of goodness. As others see
our good works, they will praise our Father in
heaven (Matthew 5:16).
https://www.gotquestions.org/fruit-Holy-Spirit-goodness.html
FAITHFULNESS
Faithfulness flows from the fruit of the
Spirits vine with divine fidelity. It is the ability
to stay the course in a crisis or correct a
corrupt circumstance. Faithfulness is a personal
resolve to stay committed in marriage through
sickness and health, richer and poorer and to death
do us part. Faithfulness feels a compelling
call from Christ to stay put in a career,
especially when its not easy, knowing perseverance
leads to righteous rewards. Invite the Lords
faithfulness to you to facilitate your faithfulness to
Him and others.
Are you at the crossroads of a
commitment? Will you remain faithful, even though it is
unfair and hard? It is easier to follow Jesus when
He heals and forgives. It is harder to be a
dedicated disciple when you are persecuted for your
faith and demeaned for doing good. However,
because Christ remained faithful to the Cross, on
the Cross and after the Cross, you remain
faithful to bear your cross for Christ. Make sure to
keep your eyes on Jesus, not on the
unfaithfulness of others. A friends unfaithfulness, even
betrayal, is your opportunity to remain faithful.
Scared friends may scatter and an insecure family
member may gossip, but you still model loyalty to
those you love. Love is faithful in the face of
unfaithfulness. [Wisdom Hunters Devotional]
GENTLENESS
Gentleness is something I rarely
experienced as a child. I was raised to be a man's man,
rough and ready for anything. So being a
"gentle-man" is something I have to work on daily. That
may be why this quote from Abraham Maslow hit
home for me: "If the only tool you have is a
hammer, then every problem is a nail."
For many people this quote describes how
they deal with the relationships in their lives.
For example, a woman shared how growing up with
an alcoholic father taught her to believe that
yelling is the way to handle spilled milk,
misbehaving children, a husband coming home late, and
friends not meeting one's expectations. She wondered
why her relationships didn't last.
In the Bible we have a whole toolbox full
of principles taken from Jesus' teachings of
the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. We also have
support groups in which we share our faulty ways of
thinking and what we've learned from our mistakes. We
discover a whole new way of handling problems, and we
are learning to become a part of the solution
rather than the problem. We learn to redirect the
energy we spend hammering ourselves and every other
person in our lives into a new way of living.
Father, a hammer didn't work in my life,
but your love did. Thank you for teaching me how
to live a better life. In Jesus' name, Amen.
[Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John & Johnny
Baker]
Gentleness is the fruit of the Spirit
that germinates from God. Indeed, the voice of
the Lord is gentle, but weighty in worth. He
does not scream in a defensive or demanding tone,
rather He speaks with authority under control.
Speech initiated by the Holy Spirit is not harsh,
but helpful"not loud, but loving"not testy,
but tolerant. The gentleness of Jesus grows in
the soil of patience, from the seed of
sensitivity, with the water of humility.
We know we are governed by gentleness
when the cadence of our conversation is not
high-pitched with rapid-fire reactions. There is
respectful dialogue without angrily attacking
anothers motives. We prayerfully pronounce Gods
principles as a fellow lifetime learner, not with an
I have finally arrived, know-it-all
attitude. Knowledge, wisdom and discernment delivered
with gentle strength carry influence and insight
to the recipient. So lead, teach and serve with
the even keel of Christ. Always learn of Him and
His meek and gentle heart. Your gentleness
generates gentleness in others for Gods glory. A
gentle soul saves souls!
But in your hearts revere Christ as
Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope
that you have. But do this with gentleness and
respect. 1 Peter 3:15 [Wisdom Hunters Devotional]
SELF-CONTROL
The last of the nine fruits of the Spirit
listed in Galatians 5 is self-control. It is
interesting that Paul puts self-control last. Other
religions would put it first. Confucianism taught that
self- control would help produce the "superior"
man. Hinduism thinks self-control will produce
the "realized" man. Stoicism thought
self-control produced the "detached" man. Modern cults
believe self-control produces the "happy" man. They
all go about it the wrong way. We do not gain
Christ through self-control; we gain self-control
through Christ.
"Self-control" is used here as a
by-product of love. When you begin with love, you end
up with self-control. If you attempt it the
other way around, then you end up with a nervous
breakdown. The self-control that comes by the Spirit is
not a nervous, anxious self-control; it is a
control that is unstrained, therefore beautiful. No
wonder a great thinker said, "Love Christ and do
what you like, for when you do, then you will
like what He likes. That's the kind of
self-control the Spirit gives. We delight to control what
needs to be controlled because we desire to please
Him.
Blessed Holy Spirit, I am so thankful
that You are working in me to produce the image
of the Lord Jesus Christ. May the aspects of
His nature show through me more and more every
day. In His names sake. Amen [Every Day With
Jesus Bible with Selwyn Hughes devotionals Mat.
27:41, 42]
INSIGHT
How can the fruit of the Spirit be found in
the life of a person who does not have the
Spirit? The answer lies in the fact that all men are
created in the image of God, and even fallen men
have some vestiges of the original image. It
should not surprise us to meet an unbeliever who is
kind, or a pagan who is joyful. All people have
certain remnants of their Fathers nature in their
personal temperament. However, what the Christian
continually seeks to attain through the indwelling
Spirit is nothing less than the restoration of the
total divine nature, the finishing of the new
creation. The perfect example of the complete
harvest of the Spirit can be found in Jesus
Christ, in whom the Spirit was given without measure
(John 3:34). [College Press NIV Commentary]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
The Choice
IT'S QUIET. It's early. My coffee is hot.
The sky is still black. The world is still
asleep. The day is coming.
In a few moments the day will arrive. It
will roar down the track with the rising of the
sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged
for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude
will be replaced by the pounding pace of the
human race. The refuge of the early morning will
be invaded by decisions to be made and
deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be
exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must
make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to
choose. And so I choose.
I choose love
No occasion justifies hatred; no
injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I
will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy
I will invite my God to be the God of
circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical
the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse
to see people as anything less than human
beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any
problem as anything less than an opportunity to see
God.
I choose peace
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so
that I may live.
I choose patience
I will overlook the inconveniences of the
world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my
place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than
complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God
for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my
fist at new assignments, I will face them with
joy and courage.
I choose kindness
I will be kind to the poor, for they are
alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And
kind to the unkind, for such is how God has
treated me.
I choose goodness
I will go without a dollar before I take
a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I
will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.
I choose goodness.
I choose faithfulness
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors
will not regret their trust. My associates will
not question my word. My wife will not question
my love. And my children will never fear that
their father will not come home.
I choose gentleness
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be
gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in
praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in
prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of
myself.
I choose self-control
I am a spiritual being. After this body
is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let
what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose
self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be
impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only
by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I
choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will
give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace.
And then, when this day is done, I will place my
head on my pillow and rest. From When God
Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado [Max Lucado Daily
Devotional at maxlucado.com]
Have you ever sunk your teeth into a
golden, sun-ripened peach just plucked from the
tree? Once you do, it will make supermarket
peaches taste like Styrofoam. A juicy, freshly
harvested peach tastes the way a peach is supposed to
taste, with no loss of essential peachiness.
Galatians 5 tells us that God's Spirit
living within us will produce beautiful, flavorful
fruit - far, far better than even the sweetest
California or Georgia peach. This life-transforming
fruit is genuine love, joy, peace, patience, and
kindness. If you try to fake it and project these
things on your own - faux love and plastic peace -
it ends up tasting like Styrofoam, and the
Spirit of Jesus will have nothing to do with it.
Today's Scripture reminds us, "No branch can bear
fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine."
Son-ripened fruit is by far the best!
Holy Spirit, produce the sweet, genuine
fruit of Jesus in me. Don't let me get away with
phony peace, shallow love, and a thin veneer of
kindness. I want people to taste the real thing in my
life - a fresh tang that can never be mistaken
for my poor efforts. And I want Jesus to receive
the glory, not me - which I know is what You
want too. [A Spectacle of Glory by Joni Eareckson
Tada and Larry Libby re John 15:4]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
I am creating something new in you: a
bubbling spring of Joy that spills over into others'
lives. Do not mistake this Joy for your own or try
to take credit for it in any way. Instead,
watch in delight as My Spirit flows through you to
bless others. Let yourself become a reservoir of
the Spirit's fruit.
Your part is to live close to Me, open to
all that I am doing in you. Don't try to control
the streaming of My Spirit through you. Just
keep focusing on Me as we walk through this day
together. Enjoy My Presence, which permeates you with
Love, Joy, and Peace. (John 3:8; Gal. 5:22) [Jesus
Calling by Sarah Young]
Rejoice in Me always. Let your gentleness
be evident to all. I am near. Rejoicing in Me
can protect you from the temptation to complain.
When your circumstances are stressful, it is easy
for you to become irritable. But I want you to
demonstrate gentleness - not irritability. This is
possible to the extent that you find Joy in Me. Since
I am the same yesterday, today, and forever,
there is always much for you to rejoice about.
You can be joyful in the knowledge that I
am near. When a man and a woman are deeply in
love, they often bring out the best in each other.
Just being near the beloved can soothe
irritations and increase happiness. I am the Lover who
is always nearby - unseen yet tenderly present.
I can soothe your frustrations and fill you
with Joy as you tune in to My loving Presence.
One way to do this is to thank Me for My
continual Presence and My constant Love. When
circumstances are getting you down, turn your attention to
Me and consider the great Love I have for you.
Rejoice! (Phi. 4:4, 5; Gal. 5:22, 23; Heb. 13:8; Psa.
107:43) [Jesus Today by Sarah Young]
Rejoice in the hope of My glory. Even
though many people use the word hope to denote
wishful thinking, My Glory-hope rings with the
certainty of absolute truth! I have promised that all
My children will share My Glory, and I intend
to keep that promise. Moreover, I have all the
Power I need - infinite Power - to enable Me to do
so.
The nature of hope is that it refers to
something in the future, something not yet. So you
need to wait patiently for me to fulfill My
promises. If patience is not your strong point,
remember that it is a fruit of the Spirit. You can
ask the Holy Spirit to help you wait hopefully
in My Presence. Waiting is often a boring task
unless you have something interesting to do or
someone interesting to be with. When you wait in My
Presence, rejoice that you are in the company of the
Creator and Sustainer of the universe. I am
infinitely more brilliant and creative than you can
imagine. Delight in this awesome privilege of being
with Me now and throughout eternity. (Rom. 5:1,
2; 8:18; Gal. 5:22, 23; Psa. 37:4) [Jesus Today
by Sarah Young]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2008/20080619-1043.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
