A Quickening Spirit – Stepping in the Light

“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” I Corinthians 15:45

Genesis 2:7 says, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” When God gave Adam life, he became what we refer to as a living soul. We can refer to every person in this way, and yet, Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:6-7, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” Nicodemus had physical life, but Jesus said that he needed spiritual life. In the passage above, Paul refers to Jesus as the “last Adam.” He was referring back to verse 22 in the same chapter, which says, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” The creation of Adam marked the beginning of the physical life of humans, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ opened the source of our spiritual life. The word quickening used here means life giving. In context, Paul is speaking specifically of the resurrection of the dead. Only those who are saved will experience the resurrection to life eternal, and that is because Jesus gives us spiritual life. He is that quickening spirit within us. And while eternity with God is an exciting prospect, Jesus brings spiritual life to us even now. Every day, the impact of the quickening spirit of Christ is available to us. Jesus came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Morning: Psalms 148-150

Evening: I Corinthians 15:29-58

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“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

If you were to find yourself walking down a path in the dark of night with only an old-fashioned lantern to light the way, you wouldn’t be able to see very far ahead. You would be able to see just enough of the pathway to know which direction to take your next step and enough of the ground to choose the best place for your feet. When it comes to our daily lives, God’s Word is a lot like that lantern. It will not show us the whole path at once, but it is exactly what we need to help us decide how to take the next step.

The Bible is our source of spiritual light, and if we consistently seek God’s direction as we read from its pages, we will always have enough light for our next step along the pathway of life. It is then that we are, in the words of an old gospel song, “stepping in the light.”

The goal of this devotional guide is to encourage you to spend time in the Word of God each day. Reading the passages listed at the bottom of the page will take you all the way through the Bible in one year. The devotional thought for each day is taken from a text within that day’s reading, so even that small daily portion of reading will take you on a journey through God’s Word. It is my prayer that this guide would help you to walk closer to the Lord and that you will find yourself taking each step in the light of His Word.