Do not Quench the Spirit.  ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:19

不 要 销 灭 圣 灵 的 感 动  ~ 帖 撒 羅 尼 迦 前 書 5:19

Look at the candle in the picture. Do you see anything strange? Where there should be a burning flame, there is water. How will this candle light up the room, or warm your hands? It can’t!

Our verse today is from a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to a church. He told them not to Quench the Spirit. What does that mean?

The Spirit is the Holy Spirit, who lives in us when we believe in Jesus. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit looked like tongues of fire when it came down on the heads of the believers — like the flame of a candle.

Quench means to put out a fire with water, just like someone did to the candle in the picture. So the verse could say, “Don’t put out the Holy Spirit!” How could we do that!?!

The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit works inside us to make us loving and faithful. If we resist by ignoring the Bible, not praying, not thinking about God, and doing things we know we shouldn’t, then we are quenching the Spirit. It is like we are putting water on the candle so it can’t burn. And then the Holy Spirit can’t change us, because we won’t let Him.

So this week, let’s do what we need to, so the Holy Spirit can burn brightly inside us.

Our Father, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to live in us and make us like Jesus. Help us listen and do what the Holy Spirit says. Amen.

Photo from pxhere.com