DAY 33, Galatians, Chapters 3-5

Good Morning!  My name is Denny Smith and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of Galatians, Chapters 3-5.

KEY VERSES:  

Galatians 5:22, 23

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

²³Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

REFLECTIONS: 

It has been said that the fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit.  Only by a close relationship with the Lord can we live holy lives that will produce the fruits.  The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ.  If we want the fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, we must join our life to His (John 15:4,5).  In his book, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers says, “The one marvelous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh.  Sanctification is ‘Christ in you.’…Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy; it is a drawing from Jesus the holiness that was manifested in Him and He manifests it in me.”

APPLICATION:  

As a boy I vividly remember the first full-time church my dad served in after he finished seminary.  We moved into the church parsonage.  What made it so unique was that the pastor and his wife also lived there.  They moved upstairs, and our family, which included my father, mother, sister, and myself, lived on the main floor.  It was surprise to find that the house had only one bathroom.  You can imagine some of the challenges we faced.  The kitchen also stands out in my mind.  The pastor’s wife was very artistic, and she had painted the words of Galatians 5:22-23 on the wall.  Above the verses she painted different types of fruit.  I don’t know that our families always produced the fruits of the Spirit, but I believe a valiant effort was made to do so.

Let us be conscious of the fact that when we are under stress, whether it is family, friends, church, or co-workers, that we allow the Spirit to produce His fruit in and through us.
Thank you for being a part of the 40-Day Challenge.  Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!

In Christ,

Pastor

NAME:  Denny Smith

SAVED:  May 10, 1973

FAMILY:  Wife Carolyn, 2 Children Denny III and Melody, 5 grandchildren

OCCUPATION:  Preacher

FAVORITE BOOKS IN BIBLE:  Genesis, Proverbs, Philippians

FAVORITE BIBLE CHARACTER:  Joseph

HOBBIES:  Riding with police officers

MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT AT VBC:  Pastor