Today’s Reading: John 16:8-11 (NIV)
9 [Jesus said,] “When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment; 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”
Good morning!
Have you ever had second doubts, wondering if you are about to make a mistake you will regret the rest of your life? Have you ever tried to turn off that nagging voice inside your head but it won’t go away? The things my mother told me when I was a little girl still bounce around inside my noggin like a noisy reverb that occurs when an amplifier and microphone are way too close to each other. If I close my eyes, I can still hear her say, “Debbie, go make your bed; brush your teeth and pick up your things! Put your toys away because it is time to say your prayers.” Setting personal time aside to enter into His presence in prayer is one of the voices that stays with me even today. It’s as if I can hear my mother saying these words every morning when I wake up. Mothers do have a way with words! We should pick and choose our words wisely. I pray that this one gift I will leave my children as their inheritance, is hearing my nagging little voice reverberating inside their heads every day for the rest of their lives.
I can get sloppy sometimes with the clutter in my house, and with the clutter in my spirit. God knew I would need a determined mother who continually kept on me to do the right thing; to walk the narrow path, and to make Jesus Christ first and foremost in my life. If there is anything good in me at all, it is because my mother never gave up on me. With that said, I must confess that I have learned how to turn that little voice of hers off from time to time. I do have a selfishness switch and it works really well, until the regret switch, like a back up generator, kicks on at the most inopportune moments of my life, illuminating the things that I’ve left undone. Like the broken toys laying in pieces on the floor, this voice truly hurts my heart, because it exposes my sin for what it is.
As Jesus prepared to leave His earthly life and return to the Father victorious over sin and death forever, He promised to leave His people with voice of all voices. What a gift this is! The Holy Spirit, is a nagging voice inside your head! It convicts you of the times you have turned away from faith; the moments when you knew better and acted out anyway in selfish ambition and personal gain. The Holy Spirit is like a nagging voice, reminding you to stop your personal pursuits and make the Lord Jesus Christ first in your life. It ignites an unquenchable, holy fire that propels us to clean up the messes we’ve made and begin to seek the intimate relationship with the Savior, who is the giver of all life. The Holy Spirit is that nagging voice inside your head and it will not ever let you go, no matter how far you go.
You know the voice I’m talking about. Is it speaking to you today? Be thankful when you hear it. Jesus Christ is reaching out to you in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, urging you to put your toys away and come home to Him now. Won't you come out on the porch, and sit with your Savior a spell? It will do your heart good.
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO
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