The Only Hedge Against Temptation

“I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (l John 14:16-17). 

 Hey Gang: I don’t know about you but in this day when everything that can be shaken is being shaken, I take great joy and confidence knowing that God has made a way through the wilderness for me - the power of the Holy Spirit.

Bruce Wilkerson included the following comment in his book Spiritual Breakthrough that rang my bell: “I made a dramatic breakthrough when I discovered that right before every temptation, my emotions were distressed (inwardly agitated) and that I was actually seeking for comfort.  That’s when I remembered the promise, ‘I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever’” (John 14:14-17).

Is it not incredible that Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to be our ever-present source of comfort?  Have you ever really checked Him out? I mean put Him to the test.  Years ago, I decided to try and prayed, “Holy Spirit, I am in desperate need of you, I don’t want to sin, please comfort me now”.  Now I must admit that in the initial stage I felt nothing.  I really felt bummed out! 

But then I slowly became aware that the anxiety level had subsided and I felt a degree of comfort.  I also learned that this, like all learning experiences, had to be honed on the wheel of experience.  The more I made my mind aware of putting trust in the Holy Spirit, the more I felt the comfort that is provided only by the Holy Spirit. 

The neat part of this experience is that God has made me more aware of those times when temptation is knocking at my door and as I put my trust in the Holy Spirit to protect me from that temptation, I find that it slithers back into the pit from which it came.

Bruce Wilkerson said, “I’ve prayed to my Comforter many times since, and I’ve discovered two immutable truths: first, The Holy Spirit always completes His responsibility in my heart and second He does it without delay.”  One closing thought, we pray to Abba Father in Jesus name continually, or so we should, but, when was the last time you gave thanks that the Holy Spirit, our comforter, is forever with each of us? 

Blessings,

Gramps