Daily Devotional | Spirit-Filled Singing

Some Christians get uncomfortable when the topic of the Holy Spirit comes up. But there is nothing to fear because the Bible speaks about the Spirit in both the Old Testament and the New. The Spirit is the One who helps us in our weakness (Rom. 8:26)! Born-again Christians are marked and sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13–14). We have all of Him. But there is a difference between the Spirit’s indwelling and infilling.

In today’s passage, the filling of the Spirit is connected to psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (vv. 18–19). In verse 18 we read: “Do not get drunk on wine.” We are to avoid drunkenness and refrain from being controlled by the values of this world. Whether from Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 1:5) or from Babylon the great prostitute (Rev. 17:2), wine in the Bible has often represented ideologies that are wicked and worldly. From “blessed is the one who does not...” (Ps. 1:1) to “do not conform to the pattern of this world” (Rom. 12:2), the Bible repeatedly tells us that one of the first signs of a Spirit-filled and godly person is what that person rejects. We are not to have “even a hint” of sexual immorality (5:3) or any obscene talk (v. 4). “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise” (v. 15).

To be filled with the Spirit, we are called to live carefully in wisdom and fear of the Lord, for “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10). When we do, Spirit-filled singing and praise can be a natural response (v. 19).

Go Deeper

What or who is controlling or influencing your life and choices? Why can this be compared to drunkenness? What should we do instead?

Pray with Us: Dear God, we ask for wisdom to live “carefully.” Holy Spirit, help us in our weaknesses, fill our lives and actions, so that Spirit-filled singing and praise is our natural response to Your presence in our lives.

BY Brian Lee

Dr. Brian Lee is a professor of Music at Moody Bible Institute. He serves in music ministry at Maranatha Bible Church in Chicago and is an active classical pianist as a soloist and chamber musician. He earned a doctorate from The Juilliard School and has been invited as a guest artist, adjudicator, masterclass teacher at many institutions, competitions, and festivals. He and his wife, Helen, are the parents of three sons.