JOHN 14:16.
I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.
TO PONDER:
The Swiss Army knife. It's a great travel companion. It can help us build things, put things together, fix things, find our direction, get us out of challenging situations. I didn't realise that there are over 800 different tools that have been included in a Swiss Army knife over the years. The largest one has 73 different functions meaning whatever you face on your adventure, you'll have what you need to get you out of challenging situations - a blade, a screwdriver, a magnifying glass, a wood saw, a can opener, a hook, a corkscrew, a wire stripper, tweezers, scissors, pliers, fish scaler, nail file, ruler, hex drive just to name a few.
In our verse today, Jesus promises his disciples something even better than a Swiss Army knife. Jesus called him the helper or as it's translated in the NIV, the advocate. But the word used is parakletos; a word that means a whole lot of things, that performs a whole lot of functions. As an Advocate the Spirit is always by your side revealing God's great vision for your life. He is your Helper, He calls, gathers, enlightens, emboldens you as you carry out Christ's mission...you are never called to help yourself. The Spirit is your Counsellor, providing wisdom and insight about yourself, about Jesus, bringing clarity in difficult and confusing situations, reminding you of who you are. The Spirit is your Encourager; reminding you of who you are in Christ, revealing the beauty of Christ in the world to you to fill you with courage and hope to push on. The Spirit is your Comforter, ever present when the pain of life confronts and overwhelms you.
The Parakletos, greater than any Swiss Army knife, is yours for the journey. There is not a situation or a moment in the adventure of discipleship that Jesus has called you to, where he is not present to give you what is needed to not only survive, but thrive as you follow Jesus Christ. The Spirit is Christ's gift to you; he lives in you. Enjoy today's adventure.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of your Spirit, my companion for the adventure you have called me to embark on in your name today. I step into this new day with courage with the Spirit who lives in me forever. Amen.