by Richelle Hecker

The Holy Spirit is always preparing us for Service.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link. 

 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” 
John 14:25-26 New American Standard Bible

This is a picture of our dog, Asher. He is a border collie mix that we adopted from an animal rescue. In this picture, Asher is working hard in a training session. When his training is complete he will be a service dog. He is happy to be working and training beside his handler.

The dog trainer is not always with us. He teaches my daughter what she needs to work on with Asher, during a training session, and then she works with him throughout the week to practice the new skills he’s learned. She uses two main methods to help Asher remember what he has learned, positive affirmation and correction.  If she did not continue the work, throughout the week, her dog would quickly go back to his original way of doing things. His old ways would make him useless as a service dog. Before training he did whatever he felt like doing. The more he trains the more useful he becomes for service.

Our own training in service for God is not much different than Asher. We too have been rescued and are being trained up for service. If we did not receive training we would continue the same habits we had before we were rescued. I am thankful that we do not have to figure out what God wants from us on our own. We too have a handler that works with us. We can go to church each week for training in the word of God, but it is the Holy Spirit who grants us understanding, and reminds us of the things we’ve been taught. He gives us correction when we head in the wrong direction, and positive affirmation when we walk in obedience.

Thank you, Holy Spirit, that You remain with us as our handler, teaching and reminding us of what Jesus said so that we can be effective in our service for the Father.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO