• Ten lepers called out to Jesus to be cleansed, a prayer he answered promptly (Luke 17). But only one, a half-blood Samaritan, came back to give thanks — a story Luke tells as a wake-up call for self-righteous Israel. All the more powerful if Gentiles were to turn back and give thanks, which you can do tomorrow. Come and strengthen one another and honor the Lord by sharing your account of God’s faithfulness.
• Paul says, “no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (2 Cor 2:11). For reasons of his own, God has made the life of his Spirit within us both crucial and delicate. To know and walk with God, the life of his Spirit within us must be vibrant, and yet, by his own choosing, the Spirit can be grieved and subdued (Eph 4:30).
• The role of the Spirit is so important that we, in the entirety of our beings, are described as nothing more than the temple that houses him: “God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Cor 3:17). And “Do you not know that you are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor3:16).
• Remarkably, Paul says “destroy the temple and he will destroy you.” This has been taken as a barrier to suicide, but that’s not the point. The point is that you bear, as God’s son or daughter, his own sacred presence within you. Have a care! Give thought to what you are doing and saying. Read Paul’s extensive list for reflection, just prior to his warning against grieving the Spirit (beginning at Eph 4:25).
• Guard against giving opportunities to the Devil (Eph 4:27), who just wants to turn you into a tool. One way or another, you are going to serve, perhaps comment by comment, thought by thought, as an envoy for heaven or hell. Don’t be ignorant of the Devil’s schemes. The potential that you have, bearing the Spirit of God as you do, is tremendous. You are an ambassador for Christ. Today is a crucial diplomatic mission. You represent a King and a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. Serve them well.