Morning Friends,
Today is Saint Patrick’s Day, and our Scriptures remind us that the same Spirit who shaped Patrick’s courage is at work in us. Ezekiel’s river of life, Jesus’ healing at the Sheep Gate, and the refuge of Psalm 46 all show what happens when God’s people trust the Spirit together. Many drifted from community during the pandemic, and some still believe they can live the Christian life without worship, singing, or shared faith. But when we step back from the body of Christ, something vital withers in us—and in those watching us. So today we ask: What would happen if we stopped being afraid of getting closer to Jesus’ love in the Holy Spirit?
Scripture Summaries:
John 5:1–16
Jesus heals a man paralyzed for thirty‑eight years who cannot reach the healing waters. With a word, Jesus restores him, revealing divine authority and exposing how easily people miss God’s work in their midst.
Ezekiel 47:1–9, 12
A river flows from the temple, growing deeper and bringing life wherever it goes. What was barren becomes fruitful; what was dead comes alive. God’s presence renews everything it touches.
Psalm 46:2–9
Even when the world shakes, God remains our refuge. God’s presence is like a river that brings peace and joy, calling us to trust rather than fear.
Message: Saint Patrick’s life shows what it looks like when someone chooses the Spirit’s courage over fear. Enslaved as a teenager, he turned to God instead of bitterness. After escaping, he returned to the very people who had harmed him, planting communities of worship, forgiveness, and hope. Patrick trusted the Spirit more than safety, culture, or convention.His life invites us to the same freedom. The Spirit can lift the fears that keep us distant from God, from one another, and from our calling. The Spirit can stir the water around us and awaken the waters within us. The Spirit can make us bold in compassion, steady in hope, and joyful in service. As Patrick returned to those who once enslaved him, God can send us to the places where love is needed most—with mercy, forgiveness, and the light of Christ. Friends, Christ is above us, beneath us, beside us—shaping us into people who dream God’s dream and sing God’s song… people whose lives echo the courage of the saints.
And So, now is the time to go deeper into God’s river of life. To trust that God is moving even in turbulent days. To let the Spirit draw us into the dance of holy history, where we learn to recognize God’s presence in our daily lives. Like the man at the pool, we cannot reach grace on our own—but Jesus comes to awaken us to the Spirit already at work. What we need is not more information but transformation—acts of love, trust, forgiveness, and worship that open us to the Spirit’s renewing power. Psalm 46 reminds us that hope without fear is possible only when God is our refuge. Each act of faith becomes a step into deeper water.
Pray we desire God more than comfort. Pray we see divine activity in worship and in the world. Pray we choose fellowship over isolation, honesty over pretense, generosity over grasping. Pray that we discover the dream worth dreaming and the song worth singing.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 