April 18, 2026 Devo

In the Old Testament, whenever God raised up someone to do His work, He put His Spirit upon them. The Spirit is who empowered Moses to perform miracles. The Spirit is who gave Samson his strength. The Spirit is who gave the prophets the words to preach and the prophecies to make. It was the Spirit of God who knocked down the walls of Jericho, parted the waters of the Jordan, and won all those battles that Joshua fought. Without the Spirit of God, none of that stuff happens.
In Isaiah’s prophecy about Jesus, the “chosen and pleasing one,” he points out that God’s Spirit will be upon Jesus. Jesus will “bring justice to the nations” because the power of God will be upon Him. But what Isaiah couldn’t completely comprehend was that Jesus would actually be the fullness of the Spirit of God in human form. The same Spirit that parted the Red Sea, shut the mouths of lions, and struck down the giant Goliath was now going to be walking the shores of Galilee. He would make blind eyes see, lame legs walk, and dead bodies rise from their graves.
The same is true for US! As we do the work of God, it is of utmost importance that we realize OUR dependence on the Spirit of God as well. We can’t save anyone. We can’t heal broken bodies. We can’t break the chains of addiction people wear. We can’t convict people’s hearts or breathe hope and encouragement into their souls. We can go through all the motions of religious activity that we want to, but it is only the Spirit of God that can do the work of God. Moses needed that Spirit. Abraham needed that Spirit. David needed that Spirit. So did Peter, Paul, and every other disciple. Regardless of our talents or giftedness or experience, only the Spirit of God can do the real work of God.
Let’s seek that Spirit as we begin this day! “Holy Spirit, fill us to overflowing today. Cleanse us of anything that is not of You, and pour into us all of who You are. We need Your Wisdom to make decisions that align with Your Will. We need Your Strength to accomplish the work that needs to be done. No matter our role in Your Kingdom, we need Your Hand upon us, Your Power flowing through us, and Your Guidance leading us. We confess today that we cannot do Your Work without You. Let us be the Living Vessels through which You pour out Yourself on those around us. Let us live in the fullness of Your Presence. This we pray in Jesus’ name, amen.” That’s God’s Word for you today.