God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5 ESV)
God poured His Spirit upon us, and this Spirit, in turn, pours God’s love into our hearts! In this devotional, we explore this beautiful cycle of divine pouring, illustrating how the Spirit sheds God’s love abroad in our hearts.
The phrase “pour out” evokes the image of pouring liquids copiously. Figuratively, it suggests giving fully or causing someone to experience something completely. God’s promise of pouring out His Spirit, prophesied in Joel 2:28 and fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2:2-4), illustrates this generous outpouring.
Thus, when Romans 5:5 mentions “the Holy Spirit who has been given to us,” it implies a lavish bestowal of the Spirit at salvation, akin to God pouring Himself into us through His Spirit.
But now that the Spirit is poured out in you, something remarkable occurs. He also pours out divine virtues into our hearts. In Romans 5:5, the Spirit pours or sheds God’s love into our hearts. He enables us to fully experience it, to know it more deeply, accept it, and revel in the Father’s love. What benefit is God’s love if we do not know or experience it?
Let me take this one step further. The Spirit infuses our hearts with the love of God. Here, the excitement builds. The focus is not on our spirits but on the experiential aspects of our inner being. He enables us to experience God fully—in the realm of our minds, emotions, and desires. Remember, the heart consists of spirit and soul; the soul is where we experience our inner human life. The Spirit does not just pour the love of God primarily into our spirit, as that is not where we experience God on earth. Instead, He leads us to know God’s love through our thoughts, feel it through our emotions, and even hunger for more through our desires. He guides us to fully experience it in the practical realm of our daily lives.
Now, understand this: the love of God is not the only virtue the Spirit pours into our hearts. He is the same Spirit who also pours power, wisdom, joy, peace, and more into us. Did you notice in Acts 1:8, where Jesus said we would receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon us? This suggests that the Spirit comes first(first outpouring), and then He gives power( second outpouring inside). This pattern of double pouring, as discussed here, is significant. The Holy Spirit resides in you and fills you with God’s presence, power, joy, and wisdom daily.
I hope this helps illustrate what happens daily as you engage with the Spirit, fellowshipping with Him, immerse in His Word, or pray. He has much He desires to continually pour into your heart and bring you into a practical, daily experience of God.
Meditate
Reflect on the distinction between the outpouring of the Spirit and the infusion of God’s love. How do these divine actions differ, and how do they interrelate?
Apply the Word
Contrary to some charismatic beliefs, God desires us to intimately know and feel His love—feeling or knowing God’s love is not carnality. Embrace the joy and assurance from recognizing how deeply the Father cherishes you. Open your heart to the Holy Spirit’s influence.
Pray
Seek a renewed outpouring of the Father’s love in your heart through the Holy Spirit.
- The Two Tablets of the Heart
- The Outpouring of Rivers of Living Waters from the Belly
- What is the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit?
- The Holy Spirit works in the flesh!
- View All Deshen Daily Devotionals
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