How do we know if He remains in us?

This image was selected as a picture of the week on the Czech Wikipedia for th week, 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Gift:  Fortitude (Courage) – With the gift of courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risk as a follower of Jesus. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or even physical harm and death.

Reading:  Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit that he gave us.  (1 John 3:24)

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The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you.  (John 14:26)

Observation:  Today’s journal is based on the readings from yesterday and today’s Gospel.  I am hearing today that even though I do believe that there are certain things that need to be accepted by faith, for sure, God is telling me that the Holy Spirit is going to be with me, revealing the truth of the Word to me and I should be able to see God working through the revelation that comes to me from the Word.  It is not in my nature to surrender my will completely to God or lean on something other than my understanding, but I know now that if it does not come from the Holy Spirit, it is not worth knowing.  Jesus didn’t say that the Holy Spirit would teach you some things, he said “everything”.

Personification:  Self-Control  It is amazing to me that I could display any self-control at all, but I am thankful to God for giving me the grace to display it.  I know that God will continue to supply the necessary grace to continue to display this self-control, as long as I keep myself in a constant state of surrender to His will and understanding.

Prayer:  Our Father, who is in Heaven.  Hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  I ask this, as always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.  Amen.