DAILY DEVOTIONAL READING
ARM AROUND YOUR SHOULDER
Before Jesus left His disciples and returned to heaven, He promised that he would send them a Helper, the Holy Spirit. The word helper in John 14:16 means, “one called alongside.” He stands beside us to help us. That’s why we who are believers in Christ fight no battles and face no issues alone.
This story in Leadership magazine illustrates the point: “Jackie Robinson was the first black to play major league baseball. Breaking baseball’s color barrier, he faced jeering crowds in every stadium. While playing one day in his home stadium in Brooklyn, he committed an error. The fans began to ridicule him. He stood at second base, humiliated, while the fans jeered. Then, shortstop Pee Wee Reese came over and stood next to him. He put his arm around Jackie Robinson and faced the crowd. The fans grew quiet. Robinson later said that arm around his shoulder saved his career.”
How many times has our Helper, the Holy Spirit, done just that for us? We felt alone, discouraged, a failure, ready to quit, but then we sensed His comforting presence. Or perhaps He gave us the support we needed through a Christian friend.
We can be sure that the Holy Spirit is always standing alongside, ready and able to help. – Dave Egner
Holy Spirit, joy divine,
Cheer this saddened heart of mine;
Bid my many woes depart,
Heal my wounded, bleeding heart. – Reed
If you have the Holy Spirit on the inside,
You can stand any battle on the outside.
Today’s Bible Reading – John 14:15-21
15 If you love Me, keep
My commandments.
16 And I will pray the
Father, and He will give
you another Helper, that
He may abide with you
forever –
17 the Spirit of truth, whom
the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees Him
nor knows Him; but you
know Him, for He dwells
with you and will be in you.
18 I will not leave you
orphans; I will come to you.
19 A little while longer
and the world will see Me
no more, but you will see Me.
Because I live, you will
live also.
20 At that day you will
know that I am in My
Father, and you in Me, and
I in you.
21 He who has My
commandments and keeps
them, it is he who loves Me.
And he who loves Me will
be loved by My Father, and
I will love him and manifest
Myself to him.”
>INSIGHT<
In this passage, the key word is another (v.16). There are two Greek
words for another. One (heteros) means “another of a different
kind.” The word here, however, means “another of the exact same
kind” (allon). This means that the Helper (the Holy Spirit) will be
exactly like Jesus, offering the same love, concern, help, and care
that Christ Himself offers to His own. It should encourage us to know
that the Holy Spirit is a perfect representation of Christ – and He
dwells within us!
Recent Comments