«l will ask the Father to give you another Helper, to be with you always» (John 14:16, ISV).
WHEN WE HAVE SHARED time in our lives with a person whom we appreciate, with whom we grow, whose presence fills us and teaches us great lessons, and suddenly, that person leaves, we feel a great loneliness and emptiness. It seems that no one can fill that space that the individual’s leaving has left. That was what happened to the disciples with regard to Jesus. They had spent three intense years with Him in which they had learned to appreciate Him; they had grown spiritually more than ever with Him; His presence had made them feel accepted and forgiven; and His lessons were deep and revolutionary. But suddenly, He left. In spite of the fact that He had told them about it beforehand so they would not be taken by surprise, they felt alone and with a great emptiness.
In those moments, they forgot what Jesus had said: «I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you» (John 14:18). They had not understood that after His death, the Holy Spirit would be the Helper of Christians. Jesus left an emptiness in the lives of those who knew Him and spent time with Him, but the Helper can reach every soul because He has no spatial, material, or temporal limitations.
Jesus said, «It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you, And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment . . . However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth» (John 16:7, 8, 13), because He is the One who testifies of Christ (see John 15:26), He is the One who shows us our sin (see John 16:8).
Take courage, dear friend! You have an infallible Guide and Companion who will help you to reach the heavenly home. If you have not known to appreciate Him up to now, it is time for you to be fully conscious of His existence and His intervention in your life.
«Like the wind, which is invisible, yet the effects of which are plainly seen and felt, is the Spirit of God in its work upon the human heart. That regenerating power, which no human eye can see, begets a new life in the soul; it creates a new being in the image of God» (White, Steps to Christ, ch. 7, p. 57).