We Soon Grow Dull, Cold, Lifeless, and Inactive!

 We Soon Grow Dull, Cold, Lifeless and Inactive!

"It is the Holy Spirit who quickens; the flesh profits nothing." (John 6:63).

All real religion begins with the quickening of the Spirit. When we experience this we begin to breathe after spiritual things; we open our eyes in a new world; we hunger and thirst after righteousness; and at length taste that the Lord is gracious.

We then have new thoughts, new desires, new hopes, new fears, new joys, and new sorrows.

The eye fixed on Christ, the heart goes out to Christ, and the chief desire of the soul is to be like Christ.

The Holy Spirit not only quickens us at first - but all through life we need and are dependent on the Spirit's quickening. He quickens us to pray, and He quickens us in prayer. It is His quickening which puts life into our graces, energy into our prayers, confidence into our expectations, and enables us to resist satan, steadfast in faith.

If His quickening power is withheld - we soon grow dull, cold, lifeless, and inactive! We have no power in prayer, no enjoyment in ordinances, no liberty in speaking to the saints, nor profit in reading God's Word.

Every duty becomes a task, every privilege a burden, and every cross appears insupportable!

While under the quickening operation of the Spirit - we can do all things; but without His quickening - we can do nothing.

Often, very often, have we to cry out from bitter experience, "My soul cleaves unto the dust; quicken me according unto Your Word!" (Psalm 119:25).

Quickening Spirit daily quicken my soul!

~James Smith~