Beautiful Word Devotional #124

“Very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”

John 16:7

When Jesus spoke these almost-last words to his disciples, they did not fully understand. How could it be good that he would leave them?

Jesus was talking to his disciples about the Holy Spirit when he referred to the Advocate, a word that means mediator and defender. The disciples were no doubt distraught that Jesus, whom they perceived as their Mediator, would be leaving them.

And Jesus was in fact the ultimate mediator between sinful human beings and our holy God. But the Spirit does much more for us. In Acts, we see how powerfully the Spirit came upon all of the disciples, transforming these timid followers into bold preachers and enabling them to do great things for God. This same Holy Spirit lives within you and me, empowering us to also do the great things for God that he calls us to do.

Lord, thank you for your Spirit who is my advocate, comforter, helper, companion, and counselor, amen.