DAY 9

John 6:63

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

Jesus teaches that true life does not originate from human effort, intellect, or discipline, but from the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is not an abstract force or influence; He is the personal, life-giving presence of God at work within His people. From the beginning of Scripture, the Spirit is seen bringing order out of chaos, breathing life where there was none, and sustaining what God creates.

When Jesus speaks of the Spirit giving life, He is clarifying that spiritual transformation cannot be achieved by external conformity alone. The flesh, in this context, refers to human strength apart from God that cannot produce the life God intends. Only the Spirit can awaken hearts, renew minds, and sustain faithful obedience.

For our lives and The Water’s Edge, this truth is essential. A community may be well-organized and well-intentioned, but without the Spirit, it lacks life. God builds His Church not by human energy, but by the Spirit. Today, ask the Holy Spirit to renew your dependence on Him and acknowledge areas where you have relied on your own strength rather than His life-giving power.

Prayer Prompt to be empowered by the Holy Spirit:

Father, I acknowledge that You alone give life. Renew my heart and restore my dependence on You. Give me the strength to turn from trying to live on my own strength. Show me the areas in my life where I choose to shut you out. Transform me in the way You only can. Remove self-reliance and awaken in me sensitivity and alignment with the Holy Spirit. Empower me to live and move by Your life-giving presence. And use me to build up the church by Your power.

-AMEN-