“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
Have you ever seen a movie or read a book about demonic possession? The idea of having an evil spirit live in somebody is horrible. It’s the spiritual equivalent of rape—a kind of forced intimacy that is never supposed to happen, a horrible imitation of true union.
But what Jesus is talking about today is the total opposite. As believers in Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit living in us—as close as can be, but never forcing Himself on us or coming where He is not wanted. No, He would never do a thing like that! He behaves like Jesus, full of grace and love.
The Spirit is not a force or power. He is a Person—in fact, He is the Third Person of the Trinity, one God together with the Father and the Son. We don’t fully understand Him, but we experience Him, because He is the One who makes us believers in Jesus. Without His help, we would not know or trust in Jesus. We would be in darkness. The Holy Spirit is the light by which we see. And He is the only One who comforts us and makes us strong, holding us up in faith even when we suffer.
What a wonderful gift Jesus promised us! And He kept His promise on Pentecost, when He sent the Spirit to all God’s people. Now all of us who trust in Jesus have the Holy Spirit for our constant Companion, teaching us, forgiving us, and helping us to grow up in Jesus, until we reach the full measure of what God plans for us to be.
When we are confused, we can ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom. When we are afraid, we can rely on Him for courage. We are never alone—never separated from the God who loves us. And we know this is true because Jesus promised us—and He is the One who loved us enough to suffer, die, and rise for our sake.
We Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for Your wonderful Gift! Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on May 11, 2023
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights
Reflection Questions:
1. What do you know about the Holy Spirit?
2. Are you glad to have God so close to you? Why or why not?
3. Tell about a time when the Holy Spirit helped you deal with a difficult situation.