Wednesday 5 May 2021

May 5: John 14:25-27
 
Key Verse: John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
 
Devotion:
Jesus wanted the disciples to know even though He was not going to be physically with them for much longer, He was going to be spiritually with them through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would not just be with them, but would continue the work He was doing – teaching, encouraging and also loving and supporting!
 
Jesus’ love and support was a focal point in His ministry. Everywhere He went and everyone He spoke with was made aware of His love and mercy at all times. His purpose was to continue the love the Father has for us in personal encounters with people as He physically met with them. When He was preparing to go back to Heaven, He made sure there was going to be someone in place, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who would continue that personal encounter with people.
 
When we are open with the Holy Spirit, we continue this loving, merciful relationship with God – hence Jesus called Him the Advocate. But this is not just some person we or God has hired to be in place because it’s his job! This is God in the Holy Spirit who wants to continue loving and supporting us in the same way as God wants to and the same way as Jesus wants to.
 
The love and support we have through the Holy Spirit is greatest when we stay close to Him. If we ignore Him, we are not going to hear the things He wants to teach us. If we walk our own ways, we will not hear about the right ways of living with God. But if we are willing to stop and listen to God, we will experience the full love and support He continues to promise us every second of every day!
 
Points to Ponder:
Do you long to hug someone during this pandemic?
 
Are you fully embracing God through the Holy Spirit?