Topic: A Constant Helper [Our Daily Bread 24 November 2018 Devotional]

Read: John 14:15–26, Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 22–23; 1 Peter 1 [The Holy Spirit] will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26 After a spinal injury left Marty paralyzed, he decided to go back to school to earn his MBA. Marty’s mother, Judy, helped make his goal a reality. She sat with him through every lecture and study group, jotting notes and handling technology issues. She even assisted him onto the platform when he received his diploma. What might have been unattainable became possible with the consistent, practical help Marty received. Jesus knew His followers would need a similar kind of support after He left the earth. When He told them about His upcoming absence, He said they would gain a new kind of connection with God through the Holy Spirit. This Spirit would be a moment-by-moment helper—a teacher and guide who would not only live with them but also be in them (John 14:17, 26). The Spirit would provide Jesus’s disciples with internal help from God, which would enable them to endure what they couldn’t handle on their own as they fanned out to share the good news. In moments of struggle, the Spirit would remind them of everything Jesus said to them (v. 26): Do not let your hearts be troubled . . . Love one another . . . I am the resurrection and the life. Are you facing something that exceeds your own strength and ability? You can depend on the Spirit’s constant help. God’s Spirit working in you will bring Him the glory He deserves. Prayer: Dear God, thank You for the ongoing support available through the Holy Spirit. Help me to rely on Your Spirit when I need help. When it is a question of God’s almighty Spirit, never say, “I can’t.” —Oswald Chambers

INSIGHT: In John, Jesus teaches extensively about the Holy Spirit: The advocate or comforter will help us and never leave us (John 14:16). The world cannot accept this “Spirit of truth,” yet He lives with and inside believers (v. 17). He teaches us and reminds us of Jesus’s words (v. 26; 15:26); convinces us of sin and reveals God’s “righteousness,” or moral rightness (16:8); and guides us into “all the truth” about Christ and brings Him glory (vv. 13–14).

Alyson Kieda

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Our Daily Bread Devotionals HERE This message was written By Jennifer Benson Schuldt [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]