Our Helper

This morning I woke up still feeling tired and alone. My hubby was here but only for a few minutes before going to work. The house is quiet. The newspaper is full of mud and election promises. Today is my workout day at the fitness center. I wanted to go back to bed. Then my devotions begin with these words:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16–17)

The disciples just realized Jesus was leaving them. They thought they would be alone. Their world was shattered. This was not good news. What would they do without Him? They must have felt like crawling into a hole and pulling the dirt over them. However, retreating was not their assignment. Jesus told them more. Not only would the Holy Spirit be with them, even live in them, He would do much more . . .

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26)

But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. (John 15:26–27)

This holy Helper would be their teacher, their truth. He would pick up where Jesus left off, teaching them everything they needed to know and empowering them to do it. His testimony about Jesus Christ would agree with their experience of Him. They would know truth in their hearts because the life of Christ would be right there with them:

For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:7–12)

John was certain of these things. He’d already declared them in his Gospel and now declared them in his three letters to the Christian churches:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:1–4)

What gave them the courage to share their Christian experience with others? With Peter, John said it just came out because “we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20)

This is a mild rebuke to me today. I’m sleepy and feel a bit crabby, certainly not in the mood to speak of what I have seen and heard concerning Jesus. This requires the Helper and my mood indicates that I’ve let me take over rather than relying on Him.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lord, I cannot witness to Your life and work when focused on myself. I confess that I’m thinking more about me than You and my thoughts are about petty things. I am sorry. I need You to fill me, enabling me to do what becomes easy when Your Spirit is at work. Thank You for the promises You have made, and that You keep them. Help me. I always need Your help.