Spirit of Truth
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you”
John 14:16-17 NKJV
I have to be honest, I really needed this verse today. It is so easy to get caught up in the world and the busy-ness of life. The grind, the everyday actions that don’t feel like a struggle until you take 5 minutes for yourself to sit down and do nothing. The real battle is in my own head, do you have the same issue? I need to…….I didn’t……..If that doesn’t get done…….. these are the beginning statements of the many thoughts I have throughout the day, and it causes me to feel like a hamster on a wheel.
In this verse today a few words really hit my core. One of them is Helper. What does a Helper do? HELP!! For someone who is always trying to do everything, fix everything, be there for everyone, and not drop all the balls that are juggling in the air the best gift ever is a HELPER! This Helper that Jesus is talking about is one that is focused on the innermost parts of you and your spirit. “He” is the Holy Spirit. The parts of you that are hidden, broken, tired, challenged, distracted…. those are the parts that this Helper wants to assist. Taking time to really let Him in, praying that He find the source of trouble in your heart and mind, can get you focused. It lets you give the burden to Him, and ultimately to God through Jesus Christ.
What if you’re not really burdened, you’re just busy?
It’s ok to be busy right? If you’re a doer, most likely you have a hand in many projects and passionately invest yourself in your life. That includes signing up for whatever is needed to help your kids, your husband, your friends, and your family. It’s great to do that, you just can’t forget about God and yourself. Here’s why…. your time with God helps guide the purposeful life you’re trying to live with all those projects and passions. When you pray or just talk to Him, you are talking to your Creator, your Father, the One who loves you so much He sacrificed His Son for you to have life beyond what you know exists. When you read about Him in the Word you are taking action to learn about His character. When you listen for Him the silence is more impactful than any noise happening in your life at the moment.
But you know Him…the Spirit of Truth, the Helper
The Helper isn’t a figment of your imagination. You know Him. He works in your heart and you know it because you feel it. He dwells in you. He is that “gut-feeling” when something isn’t right. He is that instant thought of “give” when you see a homeless person on the street. The guiding voice telling you to choose what’s good and right when everyone else is saying what’s wrong, that’s the Spirit of Truth. He will show you how to discern from what is real and what isn’t. He helps you to distinguish the difference between feelings and fact. He dwells in you and is with you. Jesus sent Him and wants you to trust Him and rely on Him.
Here’s what happens when you do all those things…..
When you pray, He is listening to your prayer and the Holy Spirit is searching your heart. Sometimes you don’t know what to pray, but you simply trying is more than enough because the Helper is there. “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom 8:26, NKJV). When you read, He is still searching your heart for the part that needs mended. He wants to help you receive His word the way you need to hear it. You are being submissive by reading His word, even though you may not think so. You are choosing to learn about Him, spend time with Him, and taking initiative to focus on Him and not yourself.
Focus on the prize
The Lord has a purpose for you…do you know it? Do you feel it? He breathed life into your spirit with a purpose that is only meant for you. The more time you spend with Him the more you learn what that purpose is. He is working on many things amidst the purpose He sees in you, so you won’t have all the answers you seek. He gives us instructions on how to walk with Him all throughout his Word. Jesus says“but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Mat 6:33). Look in the Word not the world. Jesus will guide you and His Helper will reveal things to you so you know the truth. His peace will cover you and He will never leave you stranded. You can always count on Him…. ALWAYS.
The more you focus on His way, the more you see your purpose.
Stopping yourself from going and going to try and spend time with the Lord is uncomfortable at first. Especially if you are taking care of people in a way that defines what you believe is your purpose. It’s easy to get distracted by our routines, but the purpose for everything we do is found in Jesus Christ. He gave us freedom by exchanging His life for ours. In everything we do we can take joy in it for Him.
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Col 3: 23-24). You are the light of the world. Jesus shines that light inside of you. Light overpowers darkness. Any darkness in your life cannot compete with the light inside your spirit.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mat 5:16)
You let your light shine when you are kind, gentle, and encouraging to others. The spirit inside of you filled with the light and truth of the Word of God affects people, especially those who are skeptical. As a result, they wonder about it. When you have a great attitude while you are going through trials, His peace is shining through you. His light gives you joy and peace, no matter what noise is happening around you. Getting that time with Him helps to keep growing that peace in you. What started as being uncomfortable ends up being the most important time in your day.
If you are searching for truth and purpose you will find it. I encourage you to look first in the Word of God at what Jesus says. If you want to learn more about the Holy Spirit as your Helper a good start is in John chapter 14. If you want to learn more about the light inside of you from Jesus go to Matthew chapter 5. There are many more verses and wonderful references all throughout the Bible, but I’m focusing on these as a start.
I pray you find the truth and you learn more about the great purpose you have in Christ. You are so very important and special. You can do amazing things!!
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