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By Mike Caton

John 14:26, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Jesus is not going to abandon us, he promises to send the Advocate, other translations say the Helper, or the Comforter. The Greek word means someone who is called to one’s aid and so we can see that all of those words fit the meaning. Jesus is sending someone who will help us along the path, who will aid us in whatever we are facing, who will be there for us no matter the circumstances. And he tells us exactly who this is, the Holy Spirit. Just think about that for a moment. God himself will come and live inside of us, he will never leave us or abandon us, he will always be there in anything we face in life.

And specifically, Jesus tells the disciples that the Holy Spirit will teach them all things and remind them of all Jesus has said. That is an important consideration for these men. They do not have the Bible like we do, that we can turn to and look up whatever it is we are looking for. These men will, however, go to the ends of the earth spreading the message about Jesus. It is important that they know, that they have the facts of who Jesus was and what he said and did as they explain this to the world. John will later write that his book is not all inclusive, that it doesn’t contain all Jesus said and did. He adds the world would not be big enough to hold all that was written.

There is tremendous comfort and security in this. Those men later wrote parts of the New Testament, under the inspiration of God. There were a few more whom God inspired as well to complete the task. But the point is, we can be assured that we have all that God wants us to know in his word. God inspired these and other men to make sure that what he revealed would be recorded for us. And I also fully believe God has preserved his word through the ages, so that we can be as sure of these words as if the apostles were standing right here speaking to us. (And in a sense, they are!)

Father, thank you for revealing yourself to us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Mike Caton is the preacher at Mount Olive Church of Christ in Belhaven. He volunteers at the Ponzer Fire Department and works part time with Hyde County EMS. If you would like to receive daily devotions in your inbox, email mikecaton@centurylink.net.

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