“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”
Isn’t it crazy to fathom that Jesus himself said it is better for him to go away than to stay? How is that even possible? Isn’t Jesus on this earth the best thing that has ever happened? The answer is found in the word Immanuel – God with us! Yes, while Jesus walked this earth, people saw God and began to understand him better. He was with them! But we did not live then. We have the Bible stories and because we believe these biblical truths, our faith is credited to us. However, that is not all we have. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Helper, the Counselor, with whom Jesus seals all his followers. Because Jesus is gone and has given us His Spirit, we can still to this day proclaim God is with us!
The Holy Spirit goes to God on our behalf. He is there, pleading our case with groans, when we pray and don’t know what to ask for. When we are confused and don’t know what to do, the Holy Spirit can guide us. When we don’t understand what we read in God’s word, the Holy Spirit can help make it clearer. We have this marvelous gift. Let us accept it freely. Let us not be scared of this gift or ignore it. Instead, take hold of Jesus’ truth: “It is to your advantage that I go away.” Let us trust wholeheartedly that God is with us every moment through the Holy Spirit!
Prayer Over Our Hearts
Lord, you are the ultimate gift giver! You surprise us with gifts we can’t even fathom. Thank you for allowing your Spirit to dwell in us and counsel us. May we forever proclaim Immanuel! In the One who decided to dwell in us in order to always be with us – Amen!
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Kristi, I am so thankful for the gift of Jesus. I’m thankful He saw the need to leave us with the Comforter, because He surely comforts us when we need it.
So thankful for Jesus. Your prayer at the end really touched my heart. May we always rejoice in the presence of God among us.