A Holy GPS

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another ^[c]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you. John14 :16-17 (AMP)

Jesus had just reminded his disciples that love for Him meant obeying His commands. His commands were to love your neighbor, forgive your enemies, consider others better than yourself, endure suffering for the Kingdom’s sake, and to live like He lived. He would no longer be there beside them guiding, encouraging, and even rebuking them. How could this be possible? He had lived in the “human” and knew the challenges they would face. He understood their frailties, temptations, and questions and encouraged them with this promise of a Helper who would never leave them. He would provide the strength and power they needed to live like Jesus in this world.

There is so much more that can be said about this promise and how it plays out in our lives. The older I get, the more I wonder what I have missed out on over the years by not fully grasping these words. He is Truth, Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener, all things that Jesus was to the disciple while on earth. And the best part was He was promising to live in them, not just be in their physical company! He would no longer be far away when Lazarus died. He would no longer hear about His disciples struggling in another village while He was pursuing demons elsewhere. Now HE would be IN them continually in the form of His Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus himself!

The question for us today is how much of this promise am I realizing on our journey with Jesus? Have I relegated Him to being my backseat driver. You know, “I’m driving, and I’ll let you know when I need you.” Or is He my GPS, giving directions for each turn, each stop and each attraction along the way? Do I heed His warning of roadblocks, construction, or closures ahead? Is my tank of faith and praise full, only half full or nearly empty?  Who is in the driver’s seat as I head into this day?

OH, Jesus, thank You for giving us Your Holy Spirit to empower us to be like You. Help me to acknowledge and accept this beautiful gift in its fullness. I put my complete trust in You as my HSPS (Holy Spirit Pilot System) for the rest of my journey. Help me to seek and accept Your guidance and wisdom to complete Your will in my life this day!