Simply Divine Love: When The Helper Comes

When The Helper Comes

Max Lucado

READ 2 Kings 2:1-3:27

SITUATION As Elijah's ministry came to a close, Elisha requested a double portion of the Holy Spirit that rested upon Elijah. Elisha's request demonstrated his willingness to be God's prophet, no matter the cost.

OBSERVATION The request was granted as Elijah's blessing fell on Elisha. From then on Elisha would wear Elijah's coat and serve with the authority and power it symbolized.

INSPIRATION If I were to ask you to describe your heavenly Father, you'd give me a response. If I were to ask you to tell me what Jesus did for you, you'd likely give a cogent answer. But if I were to ask about the role of the Holy Spirit in your life . . . ? Eyes would duck. Throats would be cleared. And it would soon be obvious that of the three persons of the God-head, the Holy Spirit is the one we understand the least.

Perhaps the most common mistake made regarding the Spirit is perceiving him as a power but not a person, a force with no identity. Such is not true. The Holy Spirit is a person.

The world cannot accept him, because it does not see him or know him, because he lives with you and he will be in you" (John 14:17, emphasis mine).

The Holy Spirit is not an "it." He is a person. He has knowledge (1 Corinthians 2:11). He has a will (1 Corinthians 12:11). He has a mind (Romans 8:27). He has affections (Romans 15:30). You can lie to him (Acts 5:3-4). You can insult him (Hebrews 10:29). You can grieve him (Ephesians 4:30).

The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force. He is not Popeye's spinach or the surfer's wave. He is God within you to help you. In fact John calls him the Helper.

Envision a father helping his son learn to ride a bicycle, and you will have a partial picture of the Holy Spirit. The father stays at the son's side. He pushes the bike and steadies it if the boy starts to tumble. The Spirit does that for us; he stays our step and strengthens our stride. Unlike the Father, however, he never leaves. He is with us to the end of the age.

What does the Spirit do?

He comforts the saved. "When I go away, I will send the Helper to you" (John 16:17).

He convicts the lost...

"When the Helper comes, he will prove to the people of the world the truth about sin about being right with God and about judgment" (John 16:8).

He conveys the truth, "I have many thing to say to you, but they are to much for you now. But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth" (John 16:12).

Is John saying we don't need the book in order to dance? Of course not; he helped write it. Emotion without knowledge is as dangerous as knowledge without emotion. God seeks a balance. "God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:24).

What is essential is that you know the music is in you. "If Christ is in you, then the Spirit gives you life" (Romans 8:10). You don't need a formula to hear it. I don't have a four-step plan to help you know it. What I do have is his promise that the Helper would come to comfort you, convict, and convey.

So think about it; have you ever been comforted? Has God ever brought you peace when the world brought you pain? Then you hear the music.

Have you ever been convicted? Have you even sensed a stab of sorrow for your actions? Then you've been touched by the Holy Spirit.

Or have you ever understood a new truth? Or seen a new principle in a new way? The light comes on. Your eyes pop open. "Aha, now I understand." ever happen to you? If so, that was the Holy Spirit conveying to you a new truth.

What do you know? He's been working in your life already. (From A Gentle Thunder by Max Lucado)

APPLICATION Thank God for the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. Pray to be filled daily with his Spirit. Thank for giving you the discernment to choose between good and evil.

EXPLORATION Holy Spirit -- Isaiah 63:10; Luke 4:1; Romans 9:1-2; Ephesians 5:18-20; 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8.

The Devotional Bible - Experiencing the Heart of Jesus; Max Lucado, General Editor, Thomas Nelson Publishers