Ephesians 3:14-21 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 unto him `be' the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen.

Bertha Smith, a missionary to China, once pronounced some of the most discouraging words I’d ever heard: “Charles, I want to tell you that you’re as good as you’ll ever be. You’re as good as you’ve ever been, and you won’t ever be any better than you are.”

I had grown up believing a falsehood—that believers were to pour effort into turning their flesh around and doing right all the time. Thankfully, Bertha wasn’t finished. “God never intended for you to get better, because you can’t improve flesh,” she said. “But the Holy Spirit, who is living inside you, will enable and live through you.”

She was right. My flesh hasn’t changed one bit. But as the Holy Spirit releases His supernatural power in my life, I find myself going beyond what is inherent to the nature of man. And the indwelling Spirit intends to do the same with every follower of God.

Although the works of the Holy Spirit are many, four are basic to the life of faith: The Spirit illumines the mind, enabling believers to understand the things of God; He energizes physical bodies to serve the Lord; He enables the will to follow through on doing what is right; and He quickens emotions to feel and express the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

Bertha Smith passed on an important truth to me: Flesh is insufficient. Only the Holy Spirit living inside us has the strength and wisdom to live out the Christian life victoriously. That’s why God gave us His Spirit, through whom we reap all the benefits of a righteous and godly life.

Bible in One Year: Psalms 95-102 Chapter 95 1 Oh come, let us sing unto Jehovah; Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; Let us make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. 3 For Jehovah is a great God, And a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the mountains are his also. 5 The sea is his, and he made it; And his hands formed the dry land. 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before Jehovah our Maker: 7 For he is our God, And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To-day, oh that ye would hear his voice! 8 Harden not your heart, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness; 9 When your fathers tempted me, Proved me, and saw my work. 10 Forty years long was I grieved with `that' generation, And said, It is a people that do err in their heart, And they have not known my ways: 11 Wherefore I sware in my wrath, That they should not enter into my rest. Chapter 96 1 Oh sing unto Jehovah a new song: Sing unto Jehovah, all the earth. 2 Sing unto Jehovah, bless his name; Show forth his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, His marvellous works among all the peoples. 4 For great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols; But Jehovah made the heavens. 6 Honor and majesty are before him: Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7 Ascribe unto Jehovah, ye kindreds of the peoples, Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength. 8 Ascribe unto Jehovah the glory due unto his name: Bring an offering, and come into his courts. 9 Oh worship Jehovah in holy array: Tremble before him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth: The world also is established that it cannot be moved: He will judge the peoples with equity. 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; 12 Let the field exult, and all that is therein; Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy 13 Before Jehovah; for he cometh, For he cometh to judge the earth: He will judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with his truth. Chapter 97 1 Jehovah reigneth; let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad. 2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3 A fire goeth before him, And burneth up his adversaries round about. 4 His lightnings lightened the world: The earth saw, and trembled. 5 The mountains melted like wax at the presence of Jehovah, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The heavens declare his righteousness, And all the peoples have seen his glory. 7 Let all them be put to shame that serve graven images, That boast themselves of idols: Worship him, all ye gods. 8 Zion heard and was glad, And the daughters of Judah rejoiced, Because of thy judgments, O Jehovah. 9 For thou, Jehovah, art most high above all the earth: Thou art exalted far above all gods. 10 O ye that love Jehovah, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of his saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart. 12 Be glad in Jehovah, ye righteous; And give thanks to his holy memorial `name'. Psalm 98 A Psalm. Chapter 98 1 Oh sing unto Jehovah a new song; For he hath done marvellous things: His right hand, and his holy arm, hath wrought salvation for him. 2 Jehovah hath made known his salvation: His righteousness hath he openly showed in the sight of the nations. 3 He hath remembered his lovingkindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Make a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all the earth: Break forth and sing for joy, yea, sing praises. 5 Sing praises unto Jehovah with the harp; With the harp and the voice of melody. 6 With trumpets and sound of cornet Make a joyful noise before the King, Jehovah. 7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein; 8 Let the floods clap their hands; Let the hills sing for joy together 9 Before Jehovah; for he cometh to judge the earth: He will judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with equity. Chapter 99 1 Jehovah reigneth; let the peoples tremble: He sitteth `above' the cherubim; let the earth be moved. 2 Jehovah is great in Zion; And he is high above all the peoples. 3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name: Holy is he. 4 The king's strength also loveth justice; Thou dost establish equity; Thou executest justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Exalt ye Jehovah our God, And worship at his footstool: Holy is he. 6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, And Samuel among them that call upon his name; They called upon Jehovah, and he answered them. 7 He spake unto them in the pillar of cloud: They kept his testimonies, And the statute that he gave them. 8 Thou answeredst them, O Jehovah our God: Thou wast a God that forgavest them, Though thou tookest vengeance of their doings. 9 Exalt ye Jehovah our God, And worship at his holy hill; For Jehovah our God is holy. Psalm 100 A Psalm of thanksgiving. Chapter 100 1 Make a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all ye lands. 2 Serve Jehovah with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that Jehovah, he is God: It is he that hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Give thanks unto him, and bless his name. 5 For Jehovah is good; his lovingkindness `endureth' for ever, And his faithfulness unto all generations. Psalm 101 A Psalm of David. Chapter 101 1 I will sing of lovingkindness and justice: Unto thee, O Jehovah, will I sing praises. 2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way: Oh when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. 3 I will set no base thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; It shall not cleave unto me. 4 A perverse heart shall depart from me: I will know no evil thing. 5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I destroy: Him that hath a high look and a proud heart will I not suffer. 6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: He that walketh in a perfect way, he shall minister unto me. 7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: He that speaketh falsehood shall not be established before mine eyes. 8 Morning by morning will I destroy all the wicked of the land; To cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of Jehovah. Psalm 102 A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before Jehovah. Chapter 102 1 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, And let my cry come unto thee. 2 Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress: Incline thine ear unto me; In the day when I call answer me speedily. 3 For my days consume away like smoke, And my bones are burned as a firebrand. 4 My heart is smitten like grass, and withered; For I forget to eat my bread. 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning My bones cleave to my flesh. 6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am become as an owl of the waste places. 7 I watch, and am become like a sparrow That is alone upon the house-top. 8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; They that are mad against me do curse by me. 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping, 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away. 11 My days are like a shadow that declineth; And I am withered like grass. 12 But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide for ever; And thy memorial `name' unto all generations. 13 Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; For it is time to have pity upon her, Yea, the set time is come. 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, And have pity upon her dust. 15 So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, And all the kings of the earth thy glory. 16 For Jehovah hath built up Zion; He hath appeared in his glory. 17 He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute, And hath not despised their prayer. 18 This shall be written for the generation to come; And a people which shall be created shall praise Jehovah. 19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth; 20 To hear the sighing of the prisoner; To loose those that are appointed to death; 21 That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion, And his praise in Jerusalem; 22 When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah. 23 He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days. 24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: Thy years are throughout all generations. 25 Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: 27 But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end. 28 The children of thy servants shall continue, And their seed shall be established before thee. Psalm 103 `A Psalm' of David.