Do not be anxious
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. John 14:16-18
From the text, The Lord Jesus Christ gave the disciples an assurance that they will not be left alone after He’s gone because of his impending death on the cross. God knew that one of man’s greatest fears was to feel alone. Since Christ was with His disciples for several years and now that His arrest and subsequent death on the cross was just hours away, these brought unrest to them. He wanted to assure them that they do not need to be anxious instead find comfort to the fact that they will not be left orphaned. “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me” (John 14:1). Moreover, He insisted that the coming of the Holy Spirit would be to their advantage because they will no longer feel being abandoned by God. His presence in their lives guaranteed that they belong to God and that He is with them for eternity. This is also the assurance The Lord Jesus Christ gives those who trust Him as their Lord and Savior. “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13). Reflect on what it means to know that God’s presence is within you through the Holy Spirit because you have accepted the message of truth. One of the results when left alone and abandoned was purposelessness. Yet, with the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believers means guidance and directions. “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Romans 8:14). Think about it, you are never alone and never aimless! The presence of the Holy Spirit in your life affirms that you belong to God. “For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16). Before coming to know Christ, the apostle Paul struggled to do what was right. “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate” (Romans 7:15). But when he realized what it meant to surrender his life to Christ, he was no longer a slave to sin. “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:26). For in Christ you have the Holy Spirit and as Jesus told His disciples, “You know Him because He lives in you.” The more you let the Holy Spirit leads you, the more you get to know Him better.
Blessings.
