March 24: Comfort in time of need
John 15:26 - 16:15 TNIV from Biblegateway.com
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
John 16
1 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the hour is coming when those who kill you will think they are offering a service to God. 3They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their hour comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
Devotional Comments:
Jesus is leaving his disciples….his time with them on earth is drawing to a close. Knowing their hearts, he tells them, “When I go, I won’t leave you alone. The Comforter will come. He will take you by the hand and guide you into ALL truth.”
If I was Peter or John, I expect my initial reaction would be anger, “why are you leaving me?”, then sadness “don’t go, Jesus, please, don’t go!” Then perhaps I would come to skepticism “who is this Comforter? How could he possibly take your place?!”
Yet Jesus knew exactly what they needed for the tough times that were ahead and gave them His Spirit. This gives me hope because Jesus also knows exactly what I need to walk through today and all my tomorrows.
This Comforter, also called the Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, and Strengthener, is the One who will walk beside and dwell within me. He will awaken me to the reality of God’s presence moment by moment, fill me with new life, reveal the hurt or sin or insecurity that I try so hard to ignore and He will guide me into all truth. And truth leads to freedom – freedom to be all that God has imagined for me. Come Holy Spirit!
Lori Snoxell
Pray for the work of the Holy Spirit in your areas of need.