John 16:12-13- “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear [to hear] them now. 13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears [from the Father—the message regarding the Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future].
The Promised Spirit
Have you ever heard someone say, “God is with you all the time”? What does that really mean? We can say that God is always with us because, when we follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside us! The Bible even says, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you. That’s amazing, right?
But it wasn’t always this way. This indwelling of the Spirit is a result of Jesus’ death and resurrection. It’s Jesus’ way of being with us always.
When Jesus foretold His death, His disciples didn’t want Him to go. But Jesus said to them: “…it’s to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” That’s the Holy Spirit. God is so good! Always remember that there is hope with God. It’s probably still hard for us today to understand that. We think everything would make more sense if Jesus were here in the flesh. The reality is that it is better for us to have the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is always with us. Jesus could only be in one place at a time on earth, but through the Spirit, God is with all of us at all times.
You don’t have to feel alone. It’s easy to feel that way knowing the Holy Spirit is an invisible friend. But trust the words of Jesus. It’s better for us to have the Spirit. The Spirit helps us understand what God is doing in the world. Every time we read the Scripture, the Spirit teaches, reminds, or convicts us of something. When you don’t know what to say, the Spirit will give you the words to speak.
16:7-15 Christ’s departure was necessary to the Comforter’s coming. Sending the Spirit was to be the fruit of Christ’s death, which was his going away. His bodily presence could be only in one place at one time, but his Spirit is everywhere, in all places, at all times, wherever two or three are gathered together in his name. Bible Hub
Reflections: No one wants to be abandoned. Jesus was troubled for the disciples when He was returning to heaven, because they didn’t want to be without him. The great news was they weren’t going to be left alone. Jesus knew it would be better for the Holy Spirit to be with them.
- Do you struggle with accepting that the Spirit is there listening to you? Imagine Jesus is sitting next to you. What would you tell Him? Imagine what He would say to you.
- As believers, we are not alone. The Holy Spirit guides our actions and speaks to us. We need the truth of God daily, and the Holy Spirit gives it to us
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the Spirit who speaks and reveals truth. I pray that You will speak and reveal Your truth to so many who are walking in darkness, Amen!
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