Spirit of Truth
Scripture Reading — John 16:12-15
“When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.”
—John 16:13
Can you handle the truth? Your doctor tells you, after an MRI scan, that there are spots on your liver. Your company files for bankruptcy after you have given them 45 years of loyal service. Your young-adult children must live with you because the job market has flat-lined. Let’s be honest, the truth can sometimes hit us in the gut and send our lives reeling into places we never imagined.
We have to admit that the truth is hard to handle without help. But Jesus helps by providing a helper, the Spirit of truth.
Jesus was preparing to leave his disciples and return to his Father, and his disciples were afraid. They imagined themselves spending much time with Jesus, learning about his kingdom and finding their places in it. The truth they could not handle was that Jesus had to leave them. Their lives had to transition from the God they could see to the God who would be in them.
But Jesus gave them truth they could handle. The Spirit of God would remind them of the truth of Jesus as the only Savior whom they—and we—will ever need. The Spirit takes us by the hand and helps us to live into the words and actions of the Father and the Son. We can handle that truth!
Has the Spirit been speaking to you this week? Are you taking his counsel to heart? Let the Spirit lead you and guide you every step of the way!
Holy Spirit, I need your guidance to take in the truth of God’s Word. Help me as I receive the truth of Jesus as the very words of life. Amen.
About the author — Reginald Smith
Dr. Reginald Smith is senior pastor at Roosevelt Park Community Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he has served for seventeen years. He has also served as a pastor in Paterson, New Jersey. He and his wife, Sharon, have three daughters, Janelle, Katrina, and Mariah.
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