By Meron Asnake (WITHIN Devotional Contributor)
​“How do I relate to God?” is a question I have been pondering for several weeks. I am not sure exactly when and why I began to contemplate on the thought, but I can only attribute the nudging to the Holy Spirit. I have shared with a close friend how I sometimes experience a barrier in my spiritual walk, regarding the role of Jesus in my life.

 I feel as if I can hear your gasp of shock by my confession; I promise to make it make sense if you keep on reading.

I recognize that I mainly relate to God as the Father. It is a perfect remedy to the gaping hole in my heart, due to the loss of my earthly father, whom I have been missing and grieving for last 20+ years. Though I understand the biblical truth of my salvation —the finished work of Christ on the cross that reunited me to the God the Father —my pain-point has always tethered me to Him. However, I tend to shift blame and deflect skewed images from my earthly father onto the holy God. As a result, I distance myself from the heavenly Father and avoid facing my own brokenness.

Thus, these are the kinds of moments I wish I could practice my innate instincts when it comes to a family dynamic. I usually run to my brother and vent about a discourse(s) I have with a parent. I communicate my frustrations — seeking to be understood and fully known. I expect for my brother to mediate on my behalf and bring me back to the right standing of my identity of being my parent’s child.  Most importantly, I desire to have the peace he possesses for my internal wars are caused by my own proclivities to reject authority and break boundaries. But here lies my dilemma, I usually do not run to my heavenly brother; I rarely go to Jesus, first.

I have yet to fully conceptualize Jesus’ friendship, and I do wonder if I am even supposed to. Regardless, He does call us friends, and verses like John 15:12-15 are a heart piercing truth to mediate on.

John 15: 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants,[a] for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

At once, these verses are affirming and convicting. Jesus clearly states that it is NOT us, who chose Him. He chose and appointed us to abide in Him and in His love. He asks us to keep his greatest commandment (John 13: 34-35), as He promise to bring us into His friendship. It is a costly relationship bought by His blood for Christ willing laid down His life for us.  In return, you and I have the privilege of being children of God; we get to experience a loving heavenly Father, a compassionate Brother, and nurturing Holy Spirit in our triune God — lacking nothing.
Lastly, as we are reminded by Jesus in verse 16 to ask for WHATEVER in His name, Beloved I am praying we ask for JESUS. May we KNOW Him more, grow to LOVE Him, and forever CHOOSE Him above all things.
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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:

John 15:12-15
John 13:34-35

Questions to Reflect on:

1. How do you relate to God? The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?
2. Do your earthly experiences affect how you related to God?
3. What is the Holy Spirit nudging about? And how can the nudging reveal more of God?
4. How should your friendship with Jesus reframe how you relate to Him, yourself, and others?

By Yodit Kifle Smith“He must increase, but I must decrease.”  (John 3:30)

Imagine standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, amidst its grandeur and awesomeness. Would the thought of your own greatness even come to mind? Probably not. It’s natural that whenever we are in the midst of greatness, it produces in us momentary humility. We are in awe and we are humbled.

How much more when we recognize the Matchless Presence and Friendship with God that we have been gifted through the atoning work of Jesus Christ? A gift that we didn’t deserve. Should that not produce in us authentic humility? Should that not cause us to be in constant awe of God as we see Him for Who He really is? Yes, it should. But that’s not always the case with us.

In our fallenness, one of the greatest sins that plagues us is our pride. It’s a sin that is easily detectable in others but hard to find in ourselves. It’s the sin that caused Lucifer, who was one of God’s Angels, to fall and become Satan. It’s the sin that caused Adam and Eve to believe Satan when he told them they could be like God. It’s the sin that continues to fight the very souls of those who refuse to believe in God and even more so, the sin that plagues those of us who have put their hope in Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This sin isn’t going anywhere.

Pride doesn’t sit at the surface so it can be seen. Often times, pride buries itself deep in the crevices of our hearts where only we can hear these whispers, “I want to be seen. I want to be acknowledged. I want to be at the center. I want to be right. I want to be known. I want to be [fill in the blank].”

Now, in and of themselves, to be known, seen, acknowledged, right, etc aren’t wrong. However, they do reveal whether or not our heart’s motives are in the right place. When we want to take the glory from God by wanting those things, we are letting pride take its course. It becomes a serious matter because God has made it very clear that He will not share His glory (Isaiah 42:8) because it wasn’t meant to be shared. It was meant to be praised and worshipped.

We see the example that was set for us in Scripture of a man named John the Baptist who was regarded by Jesus to be the “greatest born of women” (Luke 7:28), yet it wasn’t because he was great in his own terms, it was because he took his role as the forerunner of Jesus Christ seriously. While many questioned John’s identity, he never wavered or was tempted to make himself great. He simply said he was the “voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord…’” (John 1:23).

In John 3, we find that Jesus had entered the scene and was baptizing people. However, John’s disciples noticed that Jesus was baptizing more people than John and they tried to bring John into a discussion of who was the greater one. Again, John knew his role and never confused his role with the reward of seeing Jesus, the Messiah, come. So he tells them, “The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice, Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:29-30).

Wow! The humility that we find in these words uttered by John the Baptist is one that has truly seen and known Jesus. John honored his role but treasured the reward of Jesus more than the role of being Jesus’ forerunner. John knew Jesus. He knew that He was the Savior. He knew that He was the One to bring redemption. He knew that He was the True Light. He knew that He was the Bridegroom. He knew that He alone was worthy. And because He knew, it produced in him authentic humility that doesn’t fight for the role but rejoices in the reward of Jesus.

When Satan tries to tempt us with the roles God gives us in this life to be about us, may we, like John, press into knowing Jesus more so that we can utter those same words, “He must increase but I must decrease.”
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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:

Isaiah 42:8
Proverbs 11:2
Proverbs 16:18
Luke 7:28
John 3 (whole chapter)
Romans 12:3
James 4:6
Questions to Reflect on:

1. How does seeing Jesus rightly produce in us authentic humility?
2. What does it look like practically for Jesus to increase and for you to decrease?
3. Have you ever thought that the idea of you wanting to be seen or acknowledged was pride?
4. How has John the Baptist’s life encouraged you?

By Diana Rose (WITHIN Devotional Contributor)

Learning to wait well is a lifelong lesson. 
As a Parkinson’s patient I am discovering a new kind of waiting. Not the normal waiting on other people, 
or waiting for time to pass, 
but waiting for my abilities to diminish. 
There is something about scanning your body daily 
for new deficits and difficulties 
that sharpens your perception of time. 
The Bible says, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor 
that appears for a little while 
and then vanishes away.” James 4:14 

Not knowing what was wrong with my body. 
Waiting for test results and lab work. 
Pressing for answers for years. 
Waiting for the diagnosis. 
Waiting for medication to take effect. 
Not knowing how long the medication would work. 
Waiting for check-ups and follow-ups. 
All this pointed me to the truth of James 4:14 
I do not know what my life will be like 
and my life is a vapor. 

James 4:14 is not meant to be an insult 
but it is an accurate assessment of our limitations. 
How do we wait well? Does waiting mean idleness? 
When I feel I have no control and all I can do is wait I am reminded that as we wait and wonder what tomorrow will bring 
the God honoring response is humility, 
and in our waiting to draw near to God. 
"Draw near to God, 
and he will draw near to you. 
Cleanse your hands, you sinners, 
and purify your hearts, you double-minded... 
Humble yourselves before the Lord, 
and he will exalt you." James 4:8 & 10 

Humility is difficult for everyone 
because we want to be our own master. 
We must understand that our lack of control over our lives is a sign of God's grace 
unto salvation and unto Christlikeness. 
He gives grace, 
His son.

More grace, 
His spirit. 
Grace upon grace, 
His word and His church. 
Grace to the weary, 
to the broken, 
to the lost, 
and the waiting. 
A grace freely given 
that gives power to humbly submit 
to God. 
"But he gives more grace. 
Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 
Submit yourselves therefore to God" 
James 4:6 & 7 
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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 James 4
Questions to Reflect on:

1. In what areas of life are you waiting? 
   
2. What evidence of His grace have you seen in your life?
   

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?