Bible Reading: John 14:22-26
The Holy Spirit. . . will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you. John 14:26
It’s Saturday morning, and you are going to be baby-sitting two-year-old Justin Miller. You’ll be taking care of the cute little guy from morning until night. So his mom is giving you instructions before she leaves for the day.
“Justin isn’t a good eater,” she explains. “When you feed him lunch and dinner, it doesn’t matter if he finishes. Just serve him a good meal and let him eat as much as he wants. Then give him one of my homemade cookies.”
“Are you serious?” you ask, amazed. “He gets a cookie, even if he doesn’t finish?” Justin’s mother says yes. You can’t believe it. Your mom never gives you dessert unless every single pea and carrot vanish from your plate—and if you slip them to the dog, your only dessert is a double helping of peas and carrots.
You silently wish Mrs. Miller would adopt you.
At lunchtime you serve Justin chicken-noodle soup and carrot sticks. He slurps a little soup and eats half a carrot, then dumps the rest on the floor. You give him a cookie, and he eats the whole thing. At dinnertime you watch the same thing happen. A few bites of veggies, a lot of flying food, then a whole mouthful of cookie.
After Justin’s mom pays you that evening, you find the courage to say, “Mrs. Miller, Justin shouldn’t get a cookie if he doesn’t eat his lunch or dinner. He’s not getting enough vitamins.”
“That’s why he always gets dessert,” Mrs. Miller says with a smile. “His daily vitamins are in the cookies.”
The Holy Spirit is like that wise mom. His ministry is to keep you spiritually healthy by getting spiritual vitamins into you. He lovingly takes the truth you need and serves it up in a form you can digest.
You might be reading your Bible, for example, and it’s whooshing way over your head. Then you read a verse and—wham!—something suddenly becomes clear to you. It’s like God is right there saying, “Here’s what this means in your life.” Or you’re listening to a Christian CD and a line of the lyrics nudges you to make a much needed change in your behavior. Or you’re in a Bible study, and something your leader says helps you make an important decision.
God knows how to make sure you get the vitamins you need to keep you spiritually strong. And he does it without making you gag!
TALK: Are you surprised that God is so wisely, lovingly committed to your growth? What does that tell you about him?
PRAY: God, thanks for teaching us truth in a way we can digest.
ACT: How are you going to let the Holy Spirit teach you today? Tell God you want to hear from him!
