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| Highlighters |
One of the puzzle pieces I discussed in the Abba devotion was having a shoulder to physically lean on. Being able to "call" and talk to God anytime is great but, when I don't have any words, sometimes it's nice to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with someone. There's just nothing like a warm, kind touch or a bright smile.
Because of the Fall we can't walk with God in the garden anymore. How amazing it must have been to share that physical presence when Jesus came to earth--for Jesus and the disciples! Jesus must have delighted in hugging, touching, smiling, watching, listening, talking, crying, and laughing with us again.
Even as Lord and Savior, I imagine it was difficult for Jesus to physically leave us.
Therefore, at Pentecost, God sent the Holy Spirit. The fact of the Holy Spirit blows my mind. I came to Christ at a very early age so it's like we've always been together; I've never known it to be any other way. For those saved later in life, receiving the Spirit must be profound.
Sometimes to understand something better I try to imagine what the opposite would be like. For instance, what if believers didn’t have the Holy Spirit? This idea makes me feel afraid and vulnerable, like a child getting separated from their parents at the zoo. Why is that?
When I was very young my parents took us to the Florida zoo. It was the first time I'd ever seen a peacock and I was amazed. Before we could finish our tour a violent storm rolled in. I don't remember getting back to the car but I do remember, once in the car, looking out the windshield and seeing the wind and rain whipping the palms around as if they were attacking us.
The parts of this I remember and the parts I don't remember have a common characteristic--I was ignorant. I don't remember the impending storm because I wasn't in charge of the family's safety and I was ignorant of tornados and hurricanes. I'm just enjoying the peacocks. But my parents were aware of the potential danger and the need to take shelter.
Remembering the storm in the car is probably because I had never experienced nature as dangerous but I knew, in my child brain, that mom and dad knew everything and knew what to do. The sounds may have been loud, the sights chaotic, and my parent's voices tense, but it would have been nothing compared to being in the car alone without my "all knowing and wise" advocates.
Today what I need to remember is that spiritually I am always a child and God the Holy Spirit is always my parent. Ann-Margret Hovsepian says in her devotion* on God as our Advocate, “…the Holy Spirit is with us in the absence of the physical presence of Jesus Christ to continue His work.”
As an adult, this spiritual embrace should be much more comforting than any earthly one. Nothing in this world can prevent God from being with me every second, especially when I'm alone, ignorant or vulnerable. It's not to say bad things won't happen, like if a tree had fallen on our car or we had ran into a ditch, but the strength of a tree and the waters of a ditch can never take away or weaken my spiritual Advocate.
"Coloring the Names of God" by Ann-Margret Hovsepian, 2024.
