16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. John 14: 16-17 NIV
Satan has two main priorities. First he will do everything possible to keep you from becoming a child of God. Second, once you become a child, his goal is to neutralize your effectiveness by any means possible. He will cause you to be entangled with sin or make you become distracted with the cares of the world. He wants to isolate you from the rest of believers (they don’t really care about you anyway, he whispers) and from God, himself (God is too busy for you and you are damaged goods, Satan lies to you over and over).
This week be reminded of Jesus promise of abiding presence. He knew that soon He was going to die and return to heaven. He explained that the Holy Spirit would come to them, live with them and be in them forever. The Spirit would make Jesus presence in their lives a reality.
Some of the benefits and blessings of His presence
- Power to live out the demands of the gospel – Acts 1:8
- The Spirit connects you to the body of Christ by giving you gifts to use for others to be encouraged. Others are there to build you up also.
- He illuminates the Scriptures to bring you wisdom and understanding.
- He brings conviction of sin so that you stay on the path of righteousness.
- He is a comforter and advocate. He is your biggest cheerleader to become a faithful follower of Christ
- He reminds you of your inheritance that you already possess as a child of God.
- He helps you learn to pray effectively
- His presence is a declaration that all of God’s promises are true. He is a sign and seal for the fulfillment of God’s working.
You may feel isolated, but you are never alone as a child of God. Jesus has promised to never (that means never ever) leave you nor forsake you. Even when you sin or don’t “feel” him, He is still with you.
May you be blessed with the abiding presence of Jesus this week. Take time to thank Him for all of the ways that He draws near to you when you are broken hearted and feel alone.
Blessings Love y’all