By Yodit Kifle Smith 

"I will send you the Helper from the Father..."
(John 15:26-27)
 
Have you ever been too prideful to accept help from someone because you wanted to prove that you were more than capable of doing it on your own? I have. I remember a couple of years ago when I returned from the grocery store with more bags than I could carry on my own. But of course, I had to attempt to carry them all at once. I mean, who wants to make more than one trip to the car?
A neighbor saw me and asked me if I needed their help. I politely, yet pridefully declined. And within what felt like just a couple of steps to get to my door, one of the bags tore and…well you know what happened.

I stood there shaking my head, feeling upset. First, because there goes a waste of money. But secondly, and probably more importantly, I felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit regarding my pride. Why didn’t I just take the help?

Well, there is a Helper that we can’t afford to decline. His name is Holy Spirit-the third person of the Triune God.

Our walk with the Lord and in the Lord isn’t designed to be left to or done by our own efforts. Let’s not forget that it’s our own efforts that caused the divide between us and God in what became known as sin which led to the Fall. Our own efforts don’t lead us into a right standing with God. It had to be God’s doing. So, if it’s God’s doing in bringing us in right relationship with Him, then why would it not be His sustenance keeping us on this journey?

In His immense love for us through the work of Jesus Christ, He gave us the Holy Spirit first and foremost as a seal to show that we belong to Him (Ephesians 1:13-14). And in us belonging to Him, He desires that we live this life for His glory. Not by our own might but by the empowering work of the Holy Spirit in us.

The Holy Spirit’s role in our lives is very profound and it’s important that we know those roles so we can walk in and by His help and not our own understanding or effort.

The Holy Spirit Sanctifies
One of the most important roles of the Holy Spirit is to sanctify us, which means to make us more and more like Christ (2 Thess. 2:13, 1 Peter 1:2, Romans 8:4). He convicts us of the things that doesn’t please God (sin) and makes us more aware of them so that we turn away from then and not run to them. Instead, we are, by the Spirit, empowered to produce in us growth that brings forth the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23) which are qualities that reflect the character of God. Sanctification is a never-ending job until we are with Christ forever.  
 
The Holy Spirit Emboldens us
In the New Testament, we see that the Holy Spirit empowered and emboldened the disciples to preach the gospel. They proclaimed the Word boldly and with great power (Acts 4:8, 6:10, 1 Thess.1:5) It’s imperative that we share the gospel with others and the Holy Spirit speaks through the gospel message and is the one that opens eyes and pierces hearts. We don’t have to shrink back because we have the Spirit that makes us bold to do God’s word.

The Holy Spirit Teaches & Illuminates
A beautiful truth in Christ is that we will never be left in darkness. The Holy Spirit reveals things so that we can have understanding. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit “will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26) Even when we don’t understand why certain things happen in our lives, we have the Spirit to help us remember what the Lord has said regarding our trials. He enables us to understand spiritual truth. “We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God” (1 Cor. 2:12). 

The Holy Spirit Guides
Galatians 5:18 tells us to be led by the Spirit and not the flesh. This is encouraging us to have lives that should be responding moment by moment to the desires of the Holy Spirit and not the desires of the flesh. This means the Holy Spirit is personally active in our hearts guiding us in the way that is pleasing to God. We see many accounts in Scripture where the disciples heeded to the leading of the Spirit which led to decisions that were different from their own understanding (Acts 15:28, Acts 20: 22-23) It’s important to understand that the Holy Spirit doesn’t lead us or guide to us to do anything that contradicts God’s Word and character.

The Holy Spirit gives assurance
There are times in our walk with the Lord where we question our place with God. The Holy Spirit in us bears witness “with our spirits that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). Not only that, but He gives evidence of the good work that God is doing within us (1 John 3:24). So, we need not feel doubtful but rest in the assurance of His Spirit that we are His.
Sisters, there are so many other roles of the Spirit in our lives but know this, we need Him. It’s because of His work in us that we are where we are in God, through Christ. Let’s not be deceived or prideful but desperately rely on His help for every single thing in our lives.
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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 
Passages to read/memorize/meditate:

Ephesians 1:13-14
Acts 6:10,15: 28, 20:22-23
Romans 8:4,16
1 John 3:24
1 Cor. 2:12
John 14:26
John 15: 26-27
1 Peter 1: 2
2 Thess. 2:13
Galatians 5:22-23



Questions to Reflect on:

1. How does learning the roles of the Holy Spirit in your life encourage you in your walk with God?
2. Were there times you rejected the Help of the Holy Spirit? How did that affect you? And what did you learn from it?

By Diana Rose  (WITHIN Devotional Contributor)
“Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,” -John 4:13 

I wake up thirsty, 
For attention, 
For control, 
For comfort, 
For affirmation and acceptance. 
I look in the mirror 
Hoping to drink in something satisfying, 
But 
She has blemishes and scars 
Fading youth and evidence of age. 
I am still thirsty. 
I go to the closet 
Fantasizing of fashionable flair. 
But 
The colors muted, 
The fabric worn, 
The styles outdated, 
Nothing to wear. 
The thirst is unquenched. 
In the kitchen for a cup of happy, 
The dark silky pour, 
The bold familiar aroma, 
The smooth sip of wake-up, 
The warm moment of satisfaction is fleeting and 
The thirst continues. 
Arm up holding the camera aloft, 
Tilt the head, 
Cuddle the mug, 
Pucker the lips and raise the eyebrow. 
Snap, post, caption. 
Yet 
The thirst remains. 
She was thirsty, 
Alone at midday
Shunned and shamed 
She brings her water jar to Jacobs well To labor and lug in isolation. 

A Samaritan and woman 
Double demerit inherent, 
“You ask me for a drink?” 
The shock 
of being seen 
The fear 
of being known 
The invitation unexpected and drawing. 
Five men and again, 
She tried 
to slake her lonely thirst 
With consecutive consequence, “I have no husband” 
A multiplied misery. 
Her thirst was bitter. 
“but whoever 
drinks of the water 
that I shall give him 
will never thirst. 
But the water that I shall give him will become in him 
a fountain of water 
springing up 
into everlasting life.” 
The stranger continues 
His speech like no other 
Our daily thirst 
He relieves 
A message of hope 
A true proclamation 
“I who speak to you am He.” 
Our thirst 
Yours and mine 
All to broken cisterns run 
All seek 
All sorrow
All sin 
Run to Jesus oh my soul 
Run to Jesus for He himself 
Gives living water 
Eternal life alone 
In Him. 


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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 
Passages to read/memorize/meditate:

Read John 4 



Questions to Reflect on:
1. What daily life cistern do you go to to satisfy the thirst of your soul? 


2. How does Jesus relieve the thirst of your soul?

By Meron Asnake (WITHIN Devotional Contributor)
 “Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me”

Beloved, I have finally received an email I have been waiting for the last three years.

I am an international student from Ethiopia, who has lived in the U.S. for the last 10+ years. In short, I have spent enough time – the latter half of my adolescence into my adulthood – to call the States, home. However, the matter of my immigration status is at hand, and my work permit is inching to expire this July. My lawyers and I have been applying for the last two years and have been unsuccessful to get my work visa. In addition, this is our final year to apply for it; hence, we sent the application with heavy hearts and high hopes. For we knew, I will be forced to leave the country indefinitely if it was not selected.  

With that knowledge, I began to subconsciously prepare for the next season, in order to feel a sense of control over my situation. The truth is, going home to Ethiopia is not the problem – for I have missed my family dearly. It was the uncertainty attached to my finances that caused my doubt. I would be forced to quit my job and start all over again. In other words, I doubted God’s provision for a situation that has yet to reveal itself. As a result, I began experiencing anxiety. 
At the same time, I had an internal war with my fears for I have seen the faithfulness of God. So, I did what I knew to do – to grab on the stones of remembrance of my life like the people of Israel in Joshua 4.  I looked for areas where God cut off the waters of Jordan for me to walk through. I recalled the countless times the Lord provided and protected me from things seen and unseen. I held on to His promises, and meditated on His character, for God is not a man that He should lie; the Holy God is not going to sin against me; I held on to His word for whatever He said He will make good of – Numbers 23:19. 

Instead of budgeting for a future I did not control, I betted my focus on the God I knew to be faithful. That meant to trust and rely on His goodness and His direction regardless of the favorable outcome of my circumstances.  What should always matter is His sovereignty over my life, and the overwhelming peace that I will find in Christ. And that Beloved, is not measured by my physical address, but the presence of His Holy Spirit, which is my Home. With that reassurance, I decided to be still, to relinquish control, and pause my subconscious planning indefinitely. 

Once my heart recalibrated to His Sovereignty and His meticulous purpose for my life – to honor, to glorify, to delight, and to serve Him with the rest of my life – I saw: 
“All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.”
​
Beloved, I have finally received an email I have been waiting for the last three years. I have been selected to process my new work visa. I look forward to visiting Ethiopia and seeing my dearest family. Great is thy Faithfulness, O God my FATHER.
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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 
Passages to read/memorize/meditate:

Joshua 4:1-8
Numbers 23:19
Joshua 1:9

Questions to Reflect on:

1. What are YOUR stones of remembrance?
2. How can you hold on to the truth about God’s character to encourage you in hard times?
3. Will the outcome of your challenging experience change your view of God, and his faithfulness?
4. Are you willing to relinquish control in areas where you are tight fisted?

By Jon Bloom (Devotional from DesiringGod.org)
​
When it comes to making important decisions or working through difficult, complex, and painful issues, experience has taught me two lessons about myself. First, if I wisely seek counsel — meaning I really attempt to inform myself with the necessary information and perspectives — the outcome is always better than if I don’t. Second, I frequently don’t want to do this.
Now, in light of the first, why do I struggle with the second? It seems foolish, and it is. For Scripture says,

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
     but a wise man listens to advice. (Proverbs 12:15)
The truth is, thanks to my remaining sin nature, I have an inner foolish part of me that believes I don’t need advice, or that seeking it will expose me in ways I don’t want others to see. Which means pride, fear, and shame can play roles in why I’m tempted to avoid seeking counsel.
My experience has also taught me that this is more or less true of everyone. We all need help in recognizing when our inner fool is influencing us to take a destructive course of action. Given my limited space here, I’ll save the issues of fear and shame for the future and focus on how pride can distort how we listen to advice. Let’s consider how the kind of foolishness we’re all prone to led one man to disaster.
Learning from a Bad ExampleIn 2 Chronicles 10, King Solomon has just died, and his son, Rehoboam, is preparing to assume Israel’s throne. All the people of Israel had gathered for his coronation. But before pledging their allegiance to him, the people present him with this request: that Rehoboam relieve the burdensome load of forced labor they had endured under Solomon. If he would grant this, they pledged, “We will serve you” (2 Chronicles 10:4). Before Rehoboam gives his answer to the people, he seeks out counsel first. By all appearances, this seems wise.
This is a defining moment for the heir to the throne. Rehoboam is about to illustrate the truth of Proverbs 12:15, but not in a flattering way.
First, he gathers the older men who had advised his father, men whose knowledge is surely seasoned with years of hard-earned experience, and he asks their advice. They offer this recommendation: “If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever” (2 Chronicles 10:7).
What we’re told next, however, should set off our “wisdom level low” warning lights: Rehoboam “abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him” (2 Chronicles 10:8). Abandoned? Already?
The younger advisors give Rehoboam different advice: what he really needs to do is flex his regal muscle and subdue the people with brutal force (2 Chronicles 10:11). This is precisely what he does, and it results in a royal disaster. When he announces to the people his intention to be harder on them than his father was, most of Israel’s tribes renounce all allegiance to Rehoboam and choose their own king, splitting the nation in two.

Now, we should want to learn from Rehoboam’s disastrous example, since we have the same sinful pride dwelling inside us. We’ve all at times played the fool, believing we were right in our own eyes. I believe this story shows us three all-too-common ways our sinful pride can tempt us to foolishly turn away from listening to sound advice (Proverbs 12:15) and destroy the joyful deliverance and benefits God promises to those who walk in wisdom (Proverbs 28:26).


1. We underestimate our ignorance.First, pride can tempt us to underestimate our ignorance. It’s amazing how much unfounded confidence we can place in the very little we know. We see this in Rehoboam. Regardless of how many decades the older men had in actual governing experience and their urgent sense of the people’s deteriorating trust in his father’s administration, the new king and his peers believed they knew better.
Their foolishness is clear when we read this story, but have we not also made poor decisions and errant plans, having ignored or neglected to even seek counsel, all because our uninformed perspective appeared right in our own eyes at the time? That’s what makes this manifestation of pride so dangerous: we often don’t perceive our error till it’s too late. Therefore, the wise man listens to advice even (and especially) when he thinks he knows what’s best.
2. We avoid appearing weak.Second, pride can tempt us to avoid appearing weak. In the ancient Near East, the most respected, successful kings were typically strong and ruthless (and projected that image loud and clear). Rulers didn’t allow subjects to set the terms. What message would Rehoboam send domestically and internationally if he capitulated to his people’s demands?
Fear was likely at play too, since weak kings were targets for coups. And then there was that long shadow cast by his strong, famous father to escape. Therefore, Rehoboam’s decision was made not with faith in God’s power, nor with his people’s good in mind, but with his desired reputation primarily in view.
We, like Rehoboam, tend to be inordinately influenced by how our peers and cultures define strength and weakness. Our prideful reluctance to be viewed as weak can easily distort our decisions and plans. Therefore, the wise man seeks out and listens to advice that helps him to fear the Lord more than he fears appearing weak (Proverbs 1:7), and to love people more than he loves his reputation.
3. We predetermine the counsel we’ll accept.Third, pride can tempt us to predetermine the counsel we’ll accept. We can see indicators in Rehoboam’s story that he already had determined what he wanted to do before seeking any counsel. It’s hard to imagine him carefully listening to both advisor groups, taking into consideration their relative experience, judiciously weighing each piece of advice in the context of his people’s condition, and reaching the conclusion he did.
His foolishness can’t even be chocked up to youthful naivete, since Rehoboam was 41 years old by that time (1 Kings 14:21). He already knew his young counselors’ perspective because they “stood before him” (2 Chronicles 10:8) — they were his team of advisors. And since we all know how power dynamics work, it’s likely these advisors were feeding Rehoboam what they already knew he wanted to hear. He wasn’t really looking for advice; he was looking for official validation of his predetermined plan.

This symptom of pride is subtly deceptive, both for us and for our counselors. We are prone not only to seek advisors who already agree with our perspective, but we can also frame an issue to more objective advisors in ways that invite the advice we desire. In other words, we can appear wise, while foolishly pursuing what’s right in our own eyes. Therefore, the wise man does not pack the jury or skew the evidence, but listens to advice offered by honest advisors from multiple perspectives who have heard all the relevant information.



Joyful Promise of WisdomAnother proverb that puts a slightly different twist on the lessons from Rehoboam’s failures is this:

Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
     but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. (Proverbs 28:26)
This proverb contains a precious promise for us if we’ll choose not to underestimate our ignorance, avoid appearing weak, or predetermine what counsel we’ll accept: deliverance from disastrous decisions. Rehoboam’s example illustrates the kind of devastating consequences that result from walking in foolish pride — pride we all recognize in ourselves and are tempted by.
The challenge of walking in wisdom, of seeking out wise counselors and listening carefully to their advice, is that on the front end it usually feels challenging and humbling. We’re told things we don’t want to hear. And yet, if we’ll walk this path of wisdom, it will, like “all the [faithful and loving] paths of the Lord” (Psalm 25:10), lead to joy and deliver us from self-inflicted disaster. Jesus says, “The way is hard that leads to life” (Matthew 7:14), and “Whoever would save his life will lose it” (Matthew 16:25). The path to joy is often through self-denial, while the path to misery is often through self-indulgence.
That’s why, when it comes to important decisions and plans, only a fool will trust his own mind, but the wise man will listen to good counsel.
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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 
Passages to read/memorize/meditate:

Proverbs 12:15
2 Chronicles 10:4
Proverbs 28:26
Psalm 25:10
Matthew 7:14
Matthew 16:25


Questions to Reflect on:
1.Why is it easier for us to make decisions alone?
2. How has this devotional encouraged you to seek counsel before making a decision?
3. How have you seen God's faithfulness & fruit in your life when you've sought counsel?