1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you listening. 3 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 2: Today's topic is about the gift of the Holy Spirit. 4 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 2: We'll return with the devotional after a brief message from 5 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 2: one of our sponsors. The Holy Spirit is the best teacher, 6 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 2: written and read by Emily Rose Massey. But the helper, 7 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 2: the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. 8 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 2: He will teach you all things and bring to your 9 00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 2: remembrance all that I've said to you John fourteen, verse 10 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 2: twenty six. In high school, I was gifted a Bible 11 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 2: when I became a member of my new church. I 12 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 2: was so excited to start reading it and learn more 13 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 2: about God. But as time went on, I became more 14 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 2: and more intimidated by its pages. Where do I begin? 15 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 2: Do I start in Genesis and just read through it 16 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 2: beginning to end? Do I need to spend time memorizing 17 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 2: what I'm reading? What does this word mean? These thoughts 18 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 2: circled my teenage mind, and I was so hesitant to 19 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 2: even dive in for fear that I wouldn't understand what 20 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 2: I was reading. It didn't take long for schoolwork and 21 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 2: all of the extracurricular activities I was involved in to 22 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 2: crowd out any downtime to make space to read my Bible. 23 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 2: Soon enough, the Bible would find a permanent home in 24 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 2: my bookshelf left untouched. I hate to admit it that 25 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 2: the intimidation and distractions would follow me all through college 26 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 2: as well. When I was stressed out, I would glance 27 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 2: at my neglected Bible and randomly open it and try 28 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 2: to soak up some hope for my weary soul. Although 29 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 2: I heard the Gospel as a teen and was a 30 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 2: professing Christian for six years, it wasn't until after I 31 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 2: graduated from college that God granted me genuine repentance from 32 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 2: my sin and rebellion and gave me the faith to 33 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 2: fully surrender my life to Christ and trust him completely. 34 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 2: One Sunday, I stepped foot in a church service for 35 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 2: the first time in a few years, and I believe 36 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 2: I was born again that day, as the reality of 37 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 2: offending a holy God and my desperate need to turn 38 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,399 Speaker 2: to Jesus, take up my cross and follow him overwhelmed 39 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 2: me for the first time in my life. After that moment, 40 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 2: my whole world changed, and I suddenly had a deep 41 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 2: desire to read my Bible and obey God, I look 42 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 2: back and see the difference between my high school and 43 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 2: college days was that I was trying to understand what 44 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 2: I was reading without the help of the Holy Spirit. 45 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 2: Once I became born again at the age of twenty two, 46 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 2: I was given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus 47 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 2: describes him as a comforter as well as a helper 48 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 2: and teacher in John chapter fourteen. But the helper, the 49 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 2: Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, 50 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 2: He will teach you all things and bring to your 51 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 2: remembrance all that I have said to you, John chapter fourteen, 52 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 2: Verse twenty six, intersecting faith and life as born again believers, 53 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 2: When we open the pages of scripture, we are not 54 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 2: left on our own to understand what we are reading. 55 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 2: We have a helper and great teacher, the Holy Spirit, 56 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 2: to guide us in our pursuit of growing in the 57 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 2: knowledge of the Lord. He illuminates the truth to us 58 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 2: over time and will bring what we have read to 59 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 2: our remembrance. This is why it is so important to 60 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 2: consistently be reading our Bibles, so that we can store 61 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 2: what we are studying in our hearts. The Bible is 62 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:31,920 Speaker 2: a gift from God to help us in our daily lives, 63 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 2: to be able to learn of God's ways and learn 64 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 2: who God truly is, so that we can grow closer 65 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 2: to Him and worship Him rightly. I have to admit 66 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 2: that I sometimes still struggle with intimidation and distraction when 67 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 2: it comes to reading my Bible. But after walking with 68 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 2: the Lord for over fifteen years now I know that 69 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 2: I'm not left alone on this journey. I have a 70 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 2: helper who guides me into all truth and supernaturally helps 71 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 2: me understand the words I'm reading, words that are spirit 72 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:12,279 Speaker 2: and life. John chapter six, verse sixty three. He is 73 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,559 Speaker 2: always with me, and I can always ask him for help. 74 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 2: Dear Christian, let us thank the Father for the gift 75 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,919 Speaker 2: of the Holy Spirit, the one who convicts us of 76 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 2: sin when we daily fall short, the one who is 77 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 2: our ever present help in times of need, and who 78 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 2: guides us into all truth. If you are struggling to 79 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 2: study the Bible or are intimidated by it, he will 80 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 2: supernaturally illuminate what you are reading and give you the 81 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 2: ability to comprehend, not just for head knowledge, but ultimately 82 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 2: to help you know God more deeply so that you 83 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 2: can worship Him more fully. Oh what a wonderful gift 84 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:06,039 Speaker 2: from above for their reading Relman's chapter eight, verse twenty six, 85 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 2: John Chapter sixteen, verses twelve through fifteen. 86 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 1: The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life Audio and 87 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, please 88 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:26,039 Speaker 1: take a second to rate and review this podcast in 89 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,479 Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you 90 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: can find the show. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, 91 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: visit us at lifeaudio dot com.