I have concentrated often on the Book of Matthew where Jesus was preparing the disciples for His departure from the earth. The disciples were asking Jesus a question. “Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, ‘Tell us, when all this will happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?’ ” (Matt. 24:3 NLT).
Jesus answered them with vital information and instructions. For lack of space, let me give you a small part of it. “Jesus told them, ‘Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Messiah.” They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. . . . Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold’ ” (Matt. 24:4–8, 12 NLT).
I am sure the disciples were in a state of panic. Imagine being with Jesus on a daily basis: receiving instruction, gaining wisdom, and being comforted. We would probably respond in the same manner. The disciples were probably thinking, “What are we going to do now? Jesus is going away, and we will have no one to teach, direct, and encourage us.”
If you need help, the Holy Spirit is there to be a help and give you wisdom for any situation.
And isn’t it just like the Lord to give us the answer to our question before we even ask? Jesus answered their question in John 14:16–17 (AMPC), “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—the Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.”
Jesus gave further instruction in John16:13 (NKJV), “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”
I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit. It is important that we train our ear to listen to His instructions. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. Satan will holler in your ear; the Holy Spirit whispers. That is why it is important to quiet our minds and open up our spirit to hear instructions from the Holy Spirit.
Whatever you need, He is there to provide. He is there to be your counselor. I always say it this way: The Holy Spirit has unbiased opinions. He is only saying what the Heavenly Father instructs Him to say. He will always give you the correct answer. If you need help, the Holy Spirit is there to be a help and give you wisdom for any situation. He is there to strengthen you. When I have many tasks to perform in a limited amount of time, I call on the strengthening power of the Holy Spirit.
As I said previously, the Holy Spirit is a gentleman. Therefore, to take advantage of the many provisions that have been made available to us, we must ask. In the natural, the company you work for has provided you with benefits, such as a vacation. But you will not receive a vacation unless you apply for it.
The same is true with the Holy Spirit. You must ask. Recently, I was overwhelmed and distressed by the situations around me. My mind was bombarded with negative thoughts. All of a sudden I said, “Heavenly Father, I need help. I need words of comfort.” I can just imagine the Father saying to the Holy Spirit, “Go tell my child this.” As I was sitting quietly meditating on the Lord, a chorus I had not thought of in years came to mind.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of the earth will grow strangely dim. In the light of His glory and grace.”* That brought me such peace and comfort and got my focus on Jesus instead of the situations I was encountering. I encourage you to call upon the Holy Spirit. He is there to function in the areas He has been assigned to by the Heavenly Father.
Author
Lynette Hagin
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