2 minute read.
Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-8:18 ESV, John 14:15-31 ESV, Psalm 119:33-48 ESV, Proverbs 15:33 ESV
Daily Verse: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever” (John 14:16 ESV)
PARAKLETOS (3875): “Is the one summoned, called to one’s side, esp. called to one’s aid and is used of the Holy Spirit destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after Christ’s ascension to the Father), to truth, and give them divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom.”[i]
Divine strength.
God never meant for us to do life on our energy; He provides divine strength for us, which helps us thrive in a dark world. Jesus set the example for us to follow and then sent help to accomplish the mission. Grounded on the Rock, we can withstand the storms.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15 ESV)
We demonstrate our affection for Jesus when we obey His commands. Summarized, God wants us to love Him and others. Without divine strength, we can’t build the divine kingdom. Through love, God’s family grows
Accept help.
After my dad died, I watched my mom cope with the loss. Sixteen, I didn’t grasp the full scope of what losing a spouse meant. My teenage brain decided I didn’t want to depend on anybody; then, I couldn’t get hurt again. But God created us for community; we need help to stay the course.
Admitting to Jesus we need Him allows us to accept the help He offers. Following Jesus doesn’t make you weak; it makes you divinely strong. When bad things happen in this life, which they will, God’s family surrounds you and helps you move forward, like my mom’s friends did for her.
Jesus gives us our purpose in life, follow His commandments. Our obedience to Him will become evident in our love for others. We must love the people God gives us when we have them; eventually, God wants them back. Until then, we can honor Jesus by loving His flock well.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 190) Thomas Nelson