Day 5. He is our Love

But the fruit of the Spirit is love--- (Galatians 5:22)

And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (1 John 4:16)

We love, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

Dear Father, Your Spirit dwells in me, and I know that He longs to express Your love as I walk with Jesus. Your love produces all the fruit of the Spirit, for out of love will come joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Left to my own efforts I can at best only have brotherly love, and it is limited and conditional. But through Your Spirit I can have opportunity to show your unconditional love that only expresses the best of intentions for others. What a blessing You have given me. Don’t let me turn aside from Your love for me, for out of it I have found love for You and for my fellowman.

Your love causes me to serve others. My place will always be second to their place. Cause me to seek what will reach others with Your life. I may be called to feed them, to call on them, or to provide needs for their survival. But through it all I am motivated by Your love. That is the only way I will not become discouraged and try to find worldly solutions. The way will not always be easy, but I will always be assured of Your presence because of the love that Christ brings to me.


Your love causes me to bow before You. It leads me to ventures that I would never seek on my own. It causes me to place myself at risk, if only to reach others for You. I need not be concerned over how I appear to the world; they may ponder my motives and desires. But they will not appraise me, for only Your Spirit can properly do that (1 Corinthians 2:14,15). Thank you, Lord Jesus, for being my love in this strange world of values that are so often turned against You. I am here to be a love offering to You. Amen.










Day 6. He is our Joy

The fruit of the Spirit is—joy (Galatians 5:22)

Fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).

And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:8,9).

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2,3).

Today Lord I ask You to share pure joy with me. Jesus is my joy. He reaches beyond the daily circumstances, with which I may be uncomfortable. Yet He shows me an inner joy that finds comfort in His presence. I truly enjoy your Life within me. I will not be discouraged by the problems of this world, for You give me endurance and I will grow in maturity through these trials. Yes, momentary sorrow or dismay may engulf me, but I have only to turn to You and discover that You also are with me in the trial. You will ultimately show me the purpose of the trial, and when it is over I will look back and marvel over what You have done. I will never be the same again!

Jesus saw the joy that would follow after the cross, and I want to share in that joy. Only He could see the fruit bearing of the body when we respond to Him in faith. In His mind everything is right with the Father. The cross has separated out all of the shame of my old nature in Adam. My new nature sees the joy before me. I know that this joy will last for eternity, for I am complete in Jesus.

Thank you Jesus for being continually there—even though I am not always aware. You are the source of all joy. Today, Lord, help me see beyond the temptations, the trials, and the circumstances that would pull me down. I seek only to be lifted up in You. Amen.






Day 7. He is our Peace

The fruit of the Spirit is---peace (Galatians 5:22)

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall (Ephesians 2:14).

Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).

I know Lord that man continually struggles for peace. We seek peace and assurance from You, as well as our fellowman. We strive for compromise and soothing words, yet they are futile attempts at trying to please man and not You (Galatians 1:10). But You, Lord, have declared that the war with You is over. Jesus is our peace. He alone can see beyond our view of life, break down the barrier that separates us, and bring us into Your family. He has done this all alone at the cross, and He made it available to us by His resurrection and the indwelling Spirit within. No attempt on my part can improve upon this, and I claim Your peace by faith.

This peace allows me Lord to see all those around me in a new light. Just as I once was an enemy, and found peace in You by faith, so there is hope for all those around me who do not appear to know You. I can now speak to them with confidence and knowledge of my acceptance by You. I can proclaim the “good news” of salvation and not be burdened by the desire for immediate success. You alone will yield the harvest.

Today I will not labor under the delusion that You are condemning me or waging war and wrath against me. Instead I know that things are right between us—I will seek Your Spirit in all that I do, and I will place my faith in Jesus to accomplish His purposes through me. I know that it will not depend upon my complete understanding, nor will it depend upon my strength or approval of Your methods. It will depend only upon faith placed in Jesus. I look to Your word, the living Word that sustains me in peace. Amen.










Day 8. He is our Patience

The fruit of the Spirit is---patience (Galatians 5:22).

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience with joy (Colossians 1:9-11).

Knowing that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and steadfastness have its perfect result, that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:3,4).

Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary (Isaiah 40: 31).

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city (Proverbs 16:32).

Father, if I could just get more patience I would be ready for anything. My problem is that I want it now! Teach me to wait for Your guidance. My impatience only stems from the idea that I think I can outperform You. I would do well to listen to Your Spirit and to allow Your love to seek the best solution for all concerned. Sometimes I have to learn the hard way—You seem to allow me to do some rather strange things so that I may fail. Then, as I look back upon what has happened, I see that the better way was to follow Jesus. He had the right approach all along, and He patiently waits for me and gently places me back on track.

With Your patience I can respond in faith to discover more of Christ. I can see the perfection and maturity You are weaving into my life. Do not let me turn aside or miss the main flow of Your will. That would only cause me to overlook opportunities for service to You and to those around me. Oh, I know You will be patient and You will continually seek ways to obtain my attention. Your Spirit is ever present, and I need only listen by faith placed in Jesus.

Thank You for this wondrous day that will provide new challenges to use the patience that only Christ gives. By faith placed in Jesus I will not yield to anger—instead I will show His way to the world. Amen.
 

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