John 16 : 7-16 (NRSV)
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
'A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.’
Daily Byte
What an amazing privilege we have! What an awesome gift God’s Spirit is! How wonderful to know that we do not walk this road alone, that following Christ is not just up to us, that we do not have only our own resources to draw on! The promise of God is the Holy Spirit who is available to each of us at all times, and who leads, teaches and empowers us. Now we know that truth is not something static, something fixed that Jesus spoke once and for all, but is a quest, a way, a journey. Now we know that we have a guide who will continue to lead us into truth. Notice that we enter truth. It does not come into us as if we own it or can contain it. It is far too big for us. We can only enter it, swim around in it, immerse ourselves in it, recognising that as much as we discover, there is always an eternity of truth still to be explored. This is why we need the constant whisper of God’s Spirit calling us deeper.
What does it mean for you to be led into truth? How have you experienced the Holy Spirit doing this for you? How has God’s Spirit helped you to view truth humbly, as something far bigger than yourself, something to be discovered for all eternity? How does worship offer you the gift of this humility, and the openness to God’s Spirit of truth?
Pray As You Go
God of infinite, eternal truth,
forgive me when I make truth small,
when I feel that I can capture it,
contain it,
hold it,
deal with it on my own terms;
forgive me when I feel that I’ve got it sorted,
that I no longer need a teacher,
a guide,
a counsellor;
Holy Spirit of Truth,
I humbly invite you to each me,
to guide me, step by tiny step,
for all eternity,
into the truth that is far bigger than me.
Thank you for being so willing
to work with slow learners like me.
Amen.
Today’s devotion is taken from Rev John van de Laar’s outstanding book ‘The Hour That Changes Everything: How worship forms us into the people God wants us to be.’ Used with permission
To order copies of this book and for other superb worship resources visit http://www.sacredise.com
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