Daily Devotional for March 31

​

March 31                                                          John 16:1-15

        The Work of the Holy Spirit

Jesus promised, "When the Spirit of truth comes, that Spirit
will guide you into all truth." But how does the Spirit do this?

First, each of us has an innate sense of right and wrong that
is not culturally conditioned. Our sense of justice and the
universal human thirst for freedom are examples of this sense.
Surely our awareness of such ultimate meanings and truths is
the work of the Holy Spirit.

It is also the work of the Holy Spirit to "convince the world
concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." The "world"
of John's Gospel is the whole world system that operates
without reference to the precepts of God - in today's terms,
multinational corporations that pollute the earth out of greed,
or government bureaucrats who steal food from famine vic-
tims in order to sell it for their own gain. The Holy Spirit works
within the hearts of these perpetrators to convince them of
their sin.

If the Holy Spirit does not reach their hearts, the Spirit will
often work through people of conscience in the community
to convince them and us about the "right-use-ness," or
stewardship, of the earth's resources.

Finally, the Spirit works to convince the world of its judgment
whenever nature rebels against damage to natural resources -
damage brought about, for example, by industrial activities that
produce acid rain; by agricultural and economic practices that
reduce human food supplies; and by hunting and land use prac-
tices that lead to the virtual extinction of plants and animals.

As Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit speaks convincingly to us
today in our hearts, in our communities, and in nature itself,
so as to guide us into all truth. Will you open your heart to
hear that Spirit?

    Holy Spirit, open my heart to your work today, and give
      me courage to act on what I hear you saying. Amen.

​

From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C.198