Luke 24:45-49
He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way. He said, "You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem! You're the first to hear and see it. You're the witnesses. What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you're equipped with power from on high."
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Recently I was interviewed by a life coach who authors a website called Mom in the Balance. Her focus is on helping busy moms balance the care of their own younger families with that of an older friend or loved one. There is a name for this group of people… the Sandwich Generation… and I have a blog about my own experiences with this, which is why I was interviewed.
The interviewer asked me if I had a support group to help me through rough patches. I named several people who had been particularly supportive… my husband, my mom, a close friend, and a former pastor. But I also noted that one day recently, I was feeling especially in need of support after a disagreement with my grandmother over a safety issue. None of my “support group” were readily available, and temporarily, I felt very alone.
I pulled into a parking space at Wal-Mart, on the verge of tears, and asked myself, “Okay, Debbie… if someone came to you for advice about this, what would you tell them?” In that moment, I realized I had just heard from my “Inner Power”… my “Forever Friend”… the Holy Spirit, who Jesus sent to equip us with power from on High!
I sat in the car and asked God to help me sort through my feelings and figure out a way to cope with my situation… and He did! I continued my prayer by thanking Him, and I walked into the store with a lighter heart and a smile on my face. I knew that I was not alone… that the Holy Spirit was always with me – fully equipping me to meet any challenge head-on, with full confidence and the backing of His power.
There will be many times in life when we face problems, challenges, quandaries over things we don’t know how to handle. We will have “gut-checks” that leave us breathless and crying… and times of loneliness and sadness when we really need a friend. The GOOD NEWS is that we always have the best Friend in the universe at our disposal… and He is a heartbeat away. Mortal friends and support networks are wonderful… God-sent and sanctified… but nothing compares with the power and companionship of our Forever Friend – the Holy Spirit.
I encourage you today to find a moment to get quiet and call out to your Forever Friend… to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself to you in new and powerful ways… to thank Him for never deserting you… and to recognize His continual presence alongside you. He is always on the clock – always available – never “on another call” or “taking a break.” You can call Him night or day, 24/7. Is your line of communication open? Is the Holy Spirit #1 on your Support Team? Shouldn’t He be?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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