Thur.’s Devo - The Holy Spirit

Read: 2 Samuel 12:1-311; John 16:1-33; Psalm 119:65-80; Proverbs 16:4-5 God gave Nathan a parable to show David his sin. He, who could have had any woman in the kingdom, took Uriah’s wife, had him killed and thought nothing of it. When David realized how his sin looked to God, he was repentant and confessed. Nathan told him that he wouldn’t die for this sin, but the baby Bathsheba had would. The baby soon got a deadly illness. David fasted and prayed for God to have mercy but the child died. When he did, David got up and ate. There was nothing he could do now. He knew that one day he would see him. David comforted Bathsheba and she became pregnant again with Solomon. Solomon means “peaceableness.” God called the baby Jedidiah which means “beloved of the Lord”. Joab was out battling Rabbah the capital of the Ammonites. He sent word to David to come and fight with him in the final battle so he could get the credit. David did and helped capture the city. He took the town from the king’s head and placed in on his own head. That was a picture of David taking the authority of that principality and setting himself over it or binding the strong man. He made the people his slaves and plundered their goods. Mark 3:27 says, “No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. Jesus just finished telling his disciples that he was going to send them an Advocate, the Holy Spirit to help them be faithful when life got hard. The time was coming when people would think they were doing God a favor by killing them. Jesus was about to leave them and was surprised that no one asked him where he was going. It was best that he leave so he could send them the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin, and righteousness and warn them of his coming judgment. Jesus wanted to tell them more but he knew they wouldn’t be able to handle it then. The Holy Spirit would come and tell them the rest. He would tell them the future. Jesus told them that we would experience labor pains but they would also experience the joy of seeing the baby. Jesus told them over and over to ask in his name what we want…anything. When we are in Christ, our desires are in Him also so what we ask will be in him. Jesus predicted that they would leave him but he comforted them in the fact that this would be a trial and they would have many. Some they might not do so well but God’s peace is always there. The good thing about God is that he gives us many chances to get it right. We are in his school. Lord, thank you for your long suffering and patience with us. Thank you for forgiveness and second chances.