Ephesians 2:10 (English Standard Version) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

This daily devotional falls right in line with the thoughts reported yesterday.

The question yesterday centered around our awareness of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. Today is about what He is doing in us. From the moment we are born again we become a piece of work. Crafted or molded it matters not which image we understand best, but awareness is essential.

Yesterday I spent a good portion of my thoughts about nature vs nurture.

Our DNA has been passed down to us from multiple sources. Each branch of a family tree is slightly different. Genetic markers carry more information than just appearances which are the obvious traits. In my own case there are unevenly spread DNA markers for baldness, macular degeneration, diabetes, heart disease and Asperger’s Syndrome. We have to live with all that.

We were all raised by the same parents. Three were born prior to WWII, I was born after. It was made known to all of us that if my father had not served in that war, I would not be here. I am sure that others share that condition as there are a large number of baby boomers. The difference in my case being my father was thirty-seven at the time.

One sibling resented my birth just days before his birthday, my sister was disappointed I wasn’t a girl, and my oldest brother didn’t care about anyone but himself. Those factors were a part of my nurture environment and had a larger influence in my early development, even more than my parents. My father suffered undiagnosed PTSD and my mother suffered undiagnosed  Asperger’s Syndrome.

When I was born again God the Father took over my nurturing but not my DNA. I am bald, have diabetes, heart disease and Asperger’s.

The life we live in Christ is not influenced by our DNA nor does it suffer the mistakes of our earthly parenting. We have a new nature now, we are a new creature.

As long as we do not try to relive the past, we are headed towards those good works waiting for us in our walk of faith.

Are we aware?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

My bible app is BibleGateway and this is their verse of the day.

I am leaving tomorrow to visit my sister in Maine and to lay my brother to rest in the family plot.

Normally I have at least two devotionals in works, one leading to the next. That is normal for me. With everything that is happening surrounding this trip I have struggled with my quiet time. That is the human part of life. We have not yet escaped our humanity.

So I am taking the easy way out and will post and comment on their verse of the day because it is the easy way out. It is not a cop out, just the reality of my condition at the moment.

“Do you not know?”

Those might be the words of a teacher or professor that sees their students might not have studied the lesson plans and are not prepared. It might have come after a test and the results are not acceptable. It could also appear in classroom discussions. What is important is that assignments have purpose and failure has consequences. If you are going to fail, the classroom is the best place to do it.

What are the consequences of not believing that the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts by faith?

The Holy Spirit is the third person of our Triune God. He is our God in person and is the manifest presence of the love of God towards His children. To deny Him is to say that God does not love us and that is a lie.

1 Corinthians 13:13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Faith is weakened and hope is fleeting if love cannot be felt.

The enemy would like to tell you that God doesn’t love you. Don’t buy into the lie.