“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;” John 14:16
For years I have used the same brand of laundry soap and was very happy with it. But recently it has been impossible to find it in the stores, so I have had to choose a different one. Companies close or discontinue manufacturing certain products. The same thing has happened with the facial tissues that I have used for years. This becomes frustrating for us as most of us want the brands we have always used.
I am so thankful that despite all the changes that take place in our lives, there is one promise that stays the same, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
Chapters 14 to 16 of John’s Gospel record the last teaching session Jesus had with His disciples before His crucifixion. He had been trying to impress upon them that He would soon be leaving them and fulfilling His mission here on earth. No doubt their minds were filled with many questions, not fully grasping what He was trying to tell them. They wanted life to go on as usual, watching Him perform miracles and listening to His teaching.
He assured them that even though He would no longer be with them in bodily form, He would never leave them nor forsake them. He promised that He would send a Comforter, His Spirit, that would dwell within their hearts. He prayed for them that they would always work together in unity and love. He also prayed for everyone to whom they would minister. In essence, Jesus prayed for everyone who would come into the kingdom through the messages they would proclaim and write about in their Gospels.
What does that mean to you and me? It means that the same Comforter that Jesus promised His disciples can be ours today if we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. When Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, after receiving the Holy Spirit, He told the crowd what they must do to be saved and added the words: “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Acts 2:39.
This week I would like to look at some of the advantages and blessings that are ours because of being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for the Holy Spirit that you have bestowed so freely on your people. Help us to allow you to direct us and use us in your Kingdom.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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