Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.

— Zechariah 4:6b

You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

— Romans 8:9

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

— 1 Corinthians 6:19

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

— 1 Corinthians 12:13

When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.

— John 15:26

He [the Holy Spirit/the Comforter] will glorify Me, for He will take what is Mine and declare it to you.

— John 16:14

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and salvation from Christ to you.

How can God’s people live and work for Him? How do they deal with personal sin, overcome obstacles, and serve God faithfully? The Holy Spirit works within and through God’s people. Today, through faith in Christ, the very presence of God indwells His people through the Holy Spirit. Whenever sinners come to saving faith or believers accomplish God’s purposes on earth, the Holy Spirit is at work.

No human can accomplish anything of eternal value without the Holy Spirit’s power. When we recognize our inadequacy and need of the Holy Spirit’s transforming work, we will not trust only our insufficient human resources. Only when the Holy Spirit works within us, will we recognize the depth of our sinfulness and need for a Savior. God’s Word and spiritual truth will not make sense until His Spirit teaches us what intellect alone cannot grasp. The Holy Spirit brings our life out of darkness and despair. We need the Holy Spirit!