Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread.

Our reading titled Connected to the Power Source was written by Lisa M. Samra.

Despite knowing that the electricity wasn't working in our house after a strong storm,

an inconveniently common occurrence in our neighborhood,

I instinctively flipped on the light switch when I entered the room.

Of course, nothing happened.

I was still enveloped in darkness.

That experience, expecting light, even when I knew the connection to the power source was broken,

vividly reminded me of a spiritual truth.

Too often, we expect power even as we fail to rely on the spirit.

In First Thessalonians, Paul wrote of the way God caused the gospel message to come,

not simply with words, but also with power,

with the Holy Spirit, and deep conviction. And when we accept God's forgiveness,

believers too have immediate access to the power of His Spirit in our lives. That power

cultivates in us characteristics such as love, joy, peace,

and patience. And it empowers us with gifts to serve the church, including teaching, helping,

and guiding. Paul warned his readers that it's possible to quench the spirit. We might restrict the power of the

spirit by ignoring God's presence or rejecting his conviction. But we don't have to live disconnected

from him. God's power is always available to his children.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from 1st Thessalonians chapter 1,

verses 4 and 5, and chapter 5, verse 19.

For we know brothers and sisters loved by God that He has chosen you because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.

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