Morning & Evening Daily Devotional Reading– November 21

by Charles H. Spurgeon, Revised and Edited by William C. Neff

“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.”

—Ephesians 4:30

All that the believer has must come to him from Christ, but it comes entirely through the channel of the Spirit of grace. In addition, as all blessings flow to you through the Holy Spirit, no good thing can come out of you in holy thought, devout worship, or gracious activity apart from the sanctifying operation of the same Spirit. Even if the good seed is sown in you, it would lie dormant if it wasn’t for the Holy Spirit who works in you to will and to do of His own good pleasure.

Do you desire to speak for Jesus? How can you unless the Holy Spirit touches your tongue? Do you desire to pray? How dull your prayers are unless the Spirit intercedes for you! Do you desire to overcome sin in your life? Do you want to be holy? To imitate your Master? Well, you can’t; not without the Holy Spirit!  “Without Jesus you can do nothing;” The branch can have no fruit without the vine, and the vine’s life-giving sap is the Holy Spirit!

So, let’s not grieve Him or anger Him by our sin. Let’s be ready to obey every prompting. If the Holy Spirit is the One who is mighty, then let’s not attempt to do anything without Him; let’s not begin a project, or carry on any enterprise, or conclude a transaction, without having His approval. Let’s offer Him due homage by feeling our weakness apart from Him, and then, depending alone upon Him, pray that He will govern all that we are and do. [M&E]