I’m moving soon, and I’m thriving just thinking about the hustle and bustle of organizing and decorating while making a new place home. Most people might grit their teeth at the thought of the spreadsheets and spackle that accompany moving. But me? I’m having a blast. And as much as I’d love to only focus on what’s to come, I also have to tie up all the loose ends at my current place. At the very front of mind is how to get my security deposit back. My level of concern is almost comical, because truly, it’s such a small amount. Not to mention, I haven’t had it for nearly two and a half years. But for this apartment-moving rookie, I want to get it right. I want the victory of reclaiming my dormant deposit.
Amid today’s passages about the Holy Spirit, we come to the book of Ephesians where we find similar financial language to help us understand the reality of the Spirit for followers of Christ. As I read this passage, I couldn’t help but to compare this down payment (which the NIV translation refers to as a “deposit”) with my own.
In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit…
The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance,
until the redemption of the possession…
—Ephesians 1:13–14
Unlike the deposit I gave my landlord, our deposit—the Holy Spirit—is actively at work within us. The Spirit’s work in us is not a single moment we can only look back on, hoping it’s enough to carry us forward. Scripture reveals how this Third Person of the Trinity is always at work in those who follow Christ. The Spirit convicts (John 16:8), leads us to obey God’s life-giving Word (Ezekiel 36:27), and guides us “into all truth” (John 16:13), just to name a few.
Even Jesus said it was better for us to have the Spirit walking alongside us (John 16:7). Jesus was active in this world to secure our forgiveness on the cross, and is active today interceding on our behalf before the Father. The Spirit is active in our very hearts today, reminding us that God is the One worthy of ruling in our hearts alone. The seal of the Spirit is our secure deposit, reminding us what is true of God and our identity in Him both now and forever.
By the time you’ll be reading this, I’ll be all moved into my new apartment with two of my best friends—maybe we’ll be taking down our Christmas tree and decor, or maybe we’ll be soaking up all we can of Christmas before the new year. Maybe I will have gotten my security deposit back, or maybe not. And, we’ll have put a new security deposit down. Just like that, the cycle continues. I’m thankful for the chaos of moving and uncertain security deposits. They remind me of what is certain—the Spirit ruling in my heart.
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48 thoughts on "By Thine Own Eternal Spirit Rule in Our Hearts Alone Day 32"
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I am thankful for the secure down payment of the Holy Spirit. Having that certainty in an uncertain world is so comforting!
Thankful that “God is the One worthy of ruling in our hearts alone.” ❤️
I couldn’t totally wrap my head around the Holy Spirit being a down payment but I found some sermon notes from calvarryfullerton.org that say “the down payment is a promise that the rest is coming and you intend to make the full purchase.” The “full purchase” being when God brings us home to heaven to be with him. So when we experience the Holy Spirit working in our lives, it is just a glimpse of what we’ll experience when we get to heaven.
26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. – Ezekiel 36:26
Woah! May we never take this passage from Ezekiel 36 lightly! That He would remove our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh, so that we could be tender to His Word and calling. That we would be washed and cleansed, changed, and hate our sin! That we could be filled with His Holy Spirit and have help to walk in the ways we should go! That the Sovereign, All Powerful, Omnipresent, Omniscient God would be our God and we could be His people! Salvation for time and eternity is the only thing that will matter!
I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will place my Spirit within youv and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances. 28 You will live in the land that I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful, and I will not bring famine on you 30 I will also make the fruit of the trees and the produce of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer experience reproach among the nations on account of famine.
31 “ ‘You will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good,aa and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and detestable practices. 32 It is not for your sake that I will actac—this is the declaration of the Lord God—let this be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated because of your ways, house of Israel!
33 “ ‘This is what the Lord God says: On the day I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt.ad 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of everyone who passes by. 35 They will say, “This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden. The cities that were once ruined, desolate, and demolished are now fortified and inhabited.” 36 Then the nations that remain around you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt what was demolished and have replanted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken and I will do it.af PM p.m.
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Amen
Glory to God in the highest❤️
Rhonda J, kelly (Neo), Lehua k, PamC and everyone else who is praying that I didn’t mention, thank you ! My appointment went well , I am still waiting for the official results of the ultrasound but it does look like there is a little guy or girl in there ! Praise God. Thank you for praying! JM I am sorry for the loss of your son and mother, and I am praying for the God of comfort to comfort you.
Traci Gendron, it varies from the app to online. I have to flip flop as well
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Today’s reading makes me appreciate the work of the Holy Spirit so much more! I pray that the Holy Spirit continues to dwell brightly within me for 2023!
This is a lovely devotional.
I pray that I never take for granted the fact that the Holy Spirit is inside of me; convicting me, changing me and leading me.
Sealed!
I’ve said this before, but I don’t see everyone’s comments. I do my study on my computer not my phone. When I go into the app there are many more comments. I’m sorry if I have ever missed someone that needs prayer! I will start to look at both.
I’m so thankful for the Holy Spirit in guiding me in my life. Even when I turned and went in a different direction the HS kept drawing me back. Now I need to really learn how to listen!
@J M praying for you during these dark days. Losing a son and your mom is hard. Praise Jesus the HolySpirit is walking this path alongside you. You are not alone. Know that others are lifting you up in prayer as well. Praying that you can see blue skies in the midst of grieving.
Today’s readings & commentaries, comments…so powerful! I loved what Collin Ross said over on HRT. He posed the question , “Are you listening to His voice?” in his summation. We are so blessed to have God’s Holy Spirit in our hearts, but how often do we put up a hand & walk the other way?
I love Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17-19. I pray we will have the “Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” I pray we will be enlightened, that we will know hope, know we are called, the wealth of our inheritance. I especially pray we will remember & rely on the Lord’s strength in our lives as we go forward into this next year.
Lehua praying praise & for future salvation
Victoria for your appointment today
Taylor for you eye to heal quickly
Debbie, great word for the year! And Andrea, thank you for the Romans 15 verse. That may end up being my verse for this year. I didn’t choose word or verse or do any goal work last year…it shows.
Hugs & love to all y’all.
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Concerning the being sealed by the Holy Spirit …
This confirms that we belong to Jesus. It gives us security because we know we belong to Jesus and only He can break that seal. However, He is faithful to His promises of redemption. Therefore, those that He redeems, He will never forsake.
The Holy Spirit:
•Regenerates us — We are born again through His work in our spirit. We are born spiritually dead, but the Holy Spirit works in our spirit to make us spiritually alive in Christ.
•Is our “parakletos”. According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon on blueletterbible.org, this Greek word means that He helps, succors, aids, and assists us. According the the Webster’s dictionary (1828), this means He:
-Helps = (1) To lend strength or means toward effecting a purpose. (2) To lend means of deliverance. (3) To relieve; to cure, or to mitigate pain or disease. (4) To remedy; to change for the better. (5) To prevent; to hinder. (6) To forbear; to avoid.
-Succors = literally, to run to, or run to support; hence, to help or relieve when in difficulty, want, or distress; to assist and deliver from suffering.
-Assist is from Latin “assisto”, of “ad” + “sisto” = to stand up; English = to stand by.
•Convicts us about:
-Sin = the things we think, do, or feel that displeased God
-Righteousness = the things that are right in God’s sight
-Judgment = the truth about sin and righteousness (wrong and right).
•Tells us the truth and guides us in it. He speaks what He heard from Jesus and declares it to us.
•Glorifies Jesus
•Seals us for the day of redemption
•Gives us wisdom and revelation of God
•Enlightens our eyes so we may know:
-The hope of Jesus’ calling
-The wealth of Jesus’ glorious inheritance
-The immeasurable greatness of Jesus’ power
Moving is something I can definitely identify with, by the time I had divorced my ex-husband
we had moved at least twelve times — mainly due to the fact he didn’t get the rent paid like he said he did or he was upset about something the landlord did or didn’t do. My older son one time even said, “I’ve moved as many times as I am old (he was around ten then).” Hannah really “hit home” and spoke to me when she wrote, “The seal of the Spirit is our secure deposit, reminding us what is true of God and our identity in Him both now and forever.” I have never look at the Holy Spirit in that way. She also got my attention with, “I’m thankful for the chaos of moving and uncertain security deposits. They remind me of what is certain—the Spirit ruling in my heart.” Yes, moving is a chore but it allows a new start but we always have God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit no matter where we move to, all we have to do is open our Bibles and read Scripture.
On a side note for any one needing help themselves or for a loved one with addiction or mental health problems please go to NAMI org website (National Alliance on Mental Illness), they have a lot of good resources and classes and support groups. I recently did a class called family to family which helps you to understand how to help and deal with family members with mental illness.
Almighty, Ever Present Father, thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit to be with us no matter where we go. Help us to show Your love through the Spirit every day. Amen.
Be blessed and “show off” the Spirit inside you sisters.
@lehua, prayers that your husband’s heart would be opened to fully embrace the Truth, and because of it, you would grow closer as a couple. ❤️
I am so grateful that Jesus takes my heart of stone and gives me a heart of His love, then puts His spirit in me! The best gift ever! Help me Jesus to listen and follow Your spirit!
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Good morning ☀️ sweet SRT sisters!! What a sweet Devo this morning! Though, those security deposits may not be for certain, The Holy Spirit ruling in our hearts is always certain. Such a sweet, sweet, devo that I was prompted to look up the author (Hannah). What a sweetie! And we also have something in common. Lacing up our running shoes and exploring new recipes. Thank you Hannah forever sweet devotion this morning. I hope that you are exploring new running trails at your new location. Sweet sisters, I would appreciate prayers as we drive for two hours to the nearest beach where it’s going to be warmer there than it is here. I’m looking forward to spending time with my kids, visiting our favorite coffee shop and bakery place in Monterey.
These verses reminded me of last night..
Ephesians 1:17-19
17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit, of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.
Y’all, my heart is so joyful today! Last night, my husband and I were talking and reflecting on our goals next year, and when we discussed 4 areas to focus on, I said faith as one of them. When we started creating the goals, he actually said “having one” as a goal. To hear him be open about it and to work on specific ways we can grow in our faith, like reading devotionals together and discussing… that’s something I’ve been praying about for years. I’m ecstatic and praising God, it’s one of the best gifts I could receive – sharing with my husband about our future, our values and goals for the year ahead… and for him to reciprocate.
Sisters, would you continue to lift him up in prayer for salvation and our marriage to be focused on God as the center of it all? Thank you. ❤️
Victoria – praying for your appointment
Taylor – prayers for healing from the stye
Allison M – praying for restoration and reconciliation in your relationships
Blessings for today, may you be filled with His Spirit and full of joy, hope and peace ❤️❤️
Dear Lisa, your comment about Henri Nouwen peaked my curiosity and I looked him up. What I read was positive from so many types of people in different walks of life. His last year’s were in serving intellectually challenged people.
“Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it. “- Ezekiel 36:36
I’m so thankful I have the Holy Spirit guiding me until the day comes, to go home❤️
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I’m sure we all have regrettable things among the good we’ve said or done. I don’t know what the quote was, but do you discount a whole person’s life over a difference in beliefs? Can you not agree with anything this man ever said or did?
Debbie, that’s a great idea! To have a focus word and memorize verses with hope. I love it. Be prepared, though, to have situations and circumstances that feel hopeless. Don’t lose heart as He’s teaching you hope during these times. I also pray constantly for myself that God will be gentle as He teaches me. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit,” dear sister. (Rom. 15:13). :) oh, if you like to write, please get a journal and write down all the ways you see hope through Christ all around you! I’d love to hear some of them! Excited for you this coming year!
I’m really bothered that there’s a quote by Henri Nouwen in the book. By the end of his life he believed anyone could enter Heaven whether or not they believed in Jesus, among other eastern mysticism things.
I am never alone. Jesus promised, “Behold, I am with you always until the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). He is with me through the Holy Spirit, close to me, the closest anyone can be, in my heart. He is an ever present Comforter and Truth Teller. He speaks the Name of Jesus to me, constantly reminding me of the hope, the down payment for my future inheritance (Eph. 1:13). There is nothing new under the sun (Ecc. 1:9). Only the renewal of my own mind, the deepening of peace as I “find delight in my toil” (Ecc. 2:24). The work that is before me can always be done with joy because of the One who is with me always. From the time I rise from sleep to the time I lay back down, He is with me. He is the One who makes all things new. The eyes of my heart have been enlightened, and I know the hope of His calling (Eph. 1:18). As I walk with the Spirit, I am striving to be more like Jesus. He is making me new and better. A better wife, boss, friend, daughter, sister, and ultimately a better disciple of Christ Himself. “You show that you are Christ’s letter… not written with ink but with the Spirit of the Living God- not on tablets of stone but on tablets of the human heart. (2 Cor. 3:3). Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. Help me stop trying to edit Your letter. May I receive and display Your message according to Your plan. Show me how to work in agreement with You. Strengthen me according to Your Word and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Selah. Maranatha. Amen.
This is so good, to see how good God is! To send Jesus, to give His Spirit & now Jesus has returned to Heaven, is interceding for us…and is returning again to get us! Wow!!! Thank You God!!
It’s breathtaking to think about the Holy Spirit indwelling me. This fact is proof positive that Jesus fulfilled what He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” He is always with me. I have access to His wisdom, counsel and correction. I don’t have to go to Google maps to try to find Him. He is with me in the here and now of my life. Regardless of whatever circumstance I find myself in, all is well because of Him.
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The thing that stuck out most in these readings was that God does things that benefit us for His glory. So we will be “the praise of His glory” — that others will see His hand in our story and exclaim “Only God could have done this!” in their hearts.
“In Him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit!” What a proclamation that is, yet how we take that so mildly, so gently. well today I am going to see this is a vivid, amazing truth that it is! The Holy Spirit is promised to those that believe the Word and accept Jesus Christ! A lot of churches don’t bring up this 3rd person of the trinity to often, but we have to utilize the Spirit to live fully in our calling! We need to declare that we are walking in unison with the Holy Spirit and let Him be our guide each day, each moment. We are to be convicted by the Holy Spirit. Are we living for God in the fullness that He has given us, our down payment into eternity?! As I read the verses on Nicodemus, the episode of The Chosen immediately comes to mind, it was such a powerful moment. Nicodemus knew this could be the true Messiah promised, but still had trouble grasping the overwhelming belief it required. I too sometimes have trouble grasping the overwhelming belief that it is better for Jesus to have left so the Spirit could live inside each of us! We, each of us, the very temple of God! Dear Father, help me to live ever-so presently in this precious gift from you. The Holy Spirit empowers me, to live my life in a way that points to you at all times. Help me to humbly live this way. Amen!
@Victoria- praying for your appointment as well! Love you sis, and love that you have shared your feelings with us over the last couple of years! I so wish we could see a picture of that precious boy we prayed for last year!
I am so grateful for the Holy Spirit! He leads me, He convicts me, and He comforts me!
Love this..”The holy spirit is our deposit until the redemption of the possession.”. Something to truly meditate on today.
Something I wanted to share, I had a focus word through Advent that I meditated on daily and shared with others.. The word was JOY. I have decided to have a focus word for 2023, HOPE, I plan to memorize scripture containing the word HOPE, share the word with family and friends,
While walking daily with gratitude and Thanksgiving! As I write this I am watching the sunrise and praising God for the gift of a new day..blessings to everyone. I don’t post often but I am grateful for all the wisdom I glean daily from your comments and pray over the prayer request.
“The Spirit’s work in us is not a single moment we can only look back on, hoping it’s enough to carry us forward. Scripture reveals how this Third Person of the Trinity is always at work in those who follow Christ.”
Thankful that God is longsuffering toward me and is continually working in transforming me!
VICTORIA E – peace to your heart today
Thank you Lord for the Holy Spirit and His guidance. ❤️
So thankful that we are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit who works actively in us to make us more like Jesus each and every day!
@Victoria E praying for your appointment today!
Also requesting for prayer for myself. I’ve developed a stye on my R lower eyelid and it’s quite swollen, hurts a little, and has been taking it’s sweet time going away. Prayers that it would heal quickly so I don’t feel so unsightly would be appreciated :)
So grateful ❤️
I’m grateful we have been given the Holy Spirit. He is our guide, our challenger and encourager. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone walking this journey. The Holy Spirit is always with me.
Amen! Thank you Holy Spirit.