Growing By the Word and the Spirit
Word and Spirit together, light and clarity for the next faithful step
Devotional Credit, His Victorious Indwelling, compiled by Nick Harrison
Photo Credit, Unsplash
Psalm 119 says the Word is true from the beginning, and every righteous judgment endures forever. Today’s reading gathers three pastoral voices that point us to a simple pairing, the Spirit and the Scriptures together. Thank you, Nick Harrison, for curating a page that brings this home with warmth and clarity.
First, a needed caution. Some earnest believers magnify inner impressions while neglecting the written Word. That swap never ends well. Set the Bible aside, and many voices will rush in. Keep the Bible open, and you have a true plumb line for what stirs in the heart. Our conscience needs the steadying light of what God has spoken.
F. B. Meyer adds a picture of welcome. It is through the Word that the Spirit’s light enters our hearts, the way sunshine pours through an open window. He is not distant. He delights to make Jesus known through the Scriptures. Word and Spirit are not rivals. The Word is His chosen vehicle. He guides us into all the truth He inspired.
L. L. Legters reminds us that fullness in Jesus never sidesteps the cross. Calvary comes before Pentecost in history and in experience. To look for power while refusing our co-crucifixion with Jesus will only create a counterfeit. The way into rich life in the Son is the way of union with His death and His resurrection.
Harry A. Ironside closes with a kindness many of us need. Growth is not a sudden leap from careless living to intense devotion. It is a steady, normal, Spirit-led progression. Day by day, as the Word dwells in us and the Spirit leads us, love deepens, desires shift, and we find ourselves gladly devoted to Jesus in ordinary minutes.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I breathe the Scriptures into being, and I open them to your understanding. I lead you into all truth. I glorify Jesus by taking what is His and making it known to you. My words are Spirit and life. I set you apart in the truth, and My Word is truth.
I also unite you with the crucified and risen Son. You were crucified with Christ, and you live by faith in Him. Reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus. Present yourself to Me as one alive from the dead, and I will express the life of Jesus in your mortal body. Walk by Me, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Let the word of the Messiah dwell richly in you. Receive with meekness the implanted word that saves your soul. Do not be a hearer only, but a doer who abides in what I show you. I renew your mind so you discern what is good and acceptable and perfect. I work in you to will and to do for My good pleasure. Continue in the things you have learned, for all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable, and I equip you for every good work as you keep in step with Me.
Real-Life Analogy
Think about reading a page at night with a good lamp and a pair of clear glasses. The lamp throws light on the page, and the lenses bring the words into focus. Take away either one, and you will strain. Keep both, and the message comes through with ease. That is how the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit work together. The Spirit turns on the light. The Scriptures bring Jesus into clear focus. You are not straining to manufacture guidance. You are welcoming the Lord who lives in you to make His mind plain through His Word.
A simple, specific moment, before you answer a tense text, open the passage you are reading this week and say, Lord, I yield my response to You, align my thoughts with Your Word, and express Your gentleness and truth through what I write. Then compose the reply. You may notice clarity without harshness, and a settled tone that you did not produce on your own.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that Your Word is true and enduring. Thank You for giving me the Holy Spirit who opens the Scriptures and points my heart to Jesus. In Your Son I am crucified and raised. I count this as true today. I welcome Your living Word to dwell richly in me, and I trust Your Spirit to express the life of Jesus in my speech, my choices, and my work. I rejoice that growth is steady and sure as I remain in Your Word and walk by Your Spirit.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Psalm 119:160, John 16:13-15, John 6:63, John 17:17, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:6, Romans 6:11-13, 2 Corinthians 4:10-11, Galatians 5:16-25, Colossians 3:16, James 1:21-25, Romans 12:2, Philippians 2:13, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 6:17, 2 Peter 1:19-21, John 14:16-17, Acts 17:11, Luke 24:27, Luke 24:32, Luke 24:45, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2-3, John 15:7, Romans 8:9-11