Paraclete

Focus verses: John 14:16-21

When Jesus and the disciples were in the upper room preparing to celebrate the feast of Passover, He taught them many things. It was their final class before they would be sent into the world without Him.

His promise of the Holy Spirit is as precious as His promise of salvation. This Holy Spirit is our connection to the essence of God. It gives us the nudge when God would have us do or say something. It warns us when pure evil is present - and pure evil is present in this world. It teaches us more about God when we read scripture. It enlightens our minds, edifies our spirits and fills our hearts with His warmth.

Electricity is a wonderful thing. We don't see electricity except in the lightening of storms. That is a marvelous display of physical phenomena. But the wild electricity of lightening is not useful.

The electrical power from a hydro-electric plant is useful, but not as it comes directly from the plant. High voltage power direct from the plant would burn out all the wiring in a house were it connected directly. It must be run through a transformer before it is useful in the household. And it gets to the house through lower voltage lines than what brings it from the plant.

God, the Father, is the source of all power - like the hydro-electric plant. Jesus is our transformer. He transforms us to be fit to stand in the presence of God, and He brought the power of God into the world in the form of a man, so that we could see and emulate His use of that power. The Holy Spirit is like the line that brings the power from the powerhouse to the home. It is our essential connection to God.

That is why we are told not to grieve the Holy Spirit. He is our vital connection to God. He is the life support of our Christian lives. Grieving the Holy Spirit is like having an ice storm that takes out all the electrical lines. One can survive it for a short time, but the electricity must be restored for our lives to get back to normal.

Father, God,

Grant us an appreciation for Your gift of the Holy Spirit. Teach us to hear His still voice in our lives. Make us sensitive to His direction and swift to obey His/Your promptings.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Paraclete:

You who draw near,
You who walk beside,
Come to comfort,
Comet to strengthen,
Come to shine the Light of the
Word on the Darkness of my heart.
Help me to align with you, Oh, Holy Spirit.
Help me to bring my thoughts
Captive to the will of Christ,
Captive to the Word of God,
Captive to obedience,
Instantaneous and unquestioning,
To Your promptings.
Help me to study to show my self approved,
Unashamed to sit in the Council of your saints.
Help me to see the will of the Father in everyday situations.
Help me to respond in love to the Lord.
Help me to respond with Love to all His hurting creation.
Keep me dead-on, sighted with tunnel vision,
Single-minded on the goal of
Total obedience as a channel of His love.

Amen.
Copyright Judith Robl 1997