Daily Devotional for June 15, 2015

John 14:15-17
“If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!

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.

When Timothy was a toddler, Greg and I sat out on our driveway one warm fall night and looked at a bright full moon.  He would point and say, “Moon!”  And we would remind him that wherever he was, all he had to do was look at the moon and know that we would be looking at it, too.  “When you look at the moon, remember how much we love you,” I told him.  In recent years, my mother has commented more than once when she was traveling that she looked at the moon and reminded herself that we at home were seeing the same moon.  This is indeed a comforting thought.

When I was a child, the concept of the Holy Spirit – or “Holy Ghost” as people referenced Him…was nebulous and confusing enough to make me go, “Whaaaa???”  I don’t know how or why I found this such a difficult – and even scary - concept…but now that I understand the “Spirit of Truth” and what a friend and comforter He is and how He guides me and protects my every breath, I am totally in love.  And I want to do all I can to show Jesus how much I love Him for sending this Friend.

Just as a child of any age looks at the moon and knows that a grown-up sees the same lunar orb, I know that the Holy Spirit of Truth is always with me.  Just as we can understand that others who look at the same moon we are viewing may think  of us and care about our every thought and breath…we know that the Holy Spirit is with us wherever we are - that He cares about us and is available to help us with anything and everything!

The Holy Spirit is another gift from Jesus…a “Forever Friend” to accompany us 24/7.  All that Jesus asks of us in return is that we demonstrate our love for Him by following His commands…loving others as we love ourselves…operating in humility, kindness and respect…feeding and clothing the hungry, homeless, widowed, orphaned and needy…spreading the Gospel…and offering hope and salvation through His cleansing blood to those who are lost, confused and hurting.  This may sound like a tall order…but in comparison to the gifts of Salvation and the Holy Spirit, it is quite literally the least we can do.

You may be one of many who have received the gift of Salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ...and this is wonderful!  But have you received His gift of the Holy Spirit?  Does He dwell in your heart…and do you feel His presence?  Do you recognize the Spirit of Truth…is He your Forever Friend?  Don’t you want this?  Will you spend some time in prayer today and call on the Holy Spirit to fill your heart?  All you have to do is ask…“Come, Holy Spirit…wash over me.”  He’s waiting for the invitation…are you ready to extend it?


©2015 Debbie Robus

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