With Us // God Within Us

Life hasn’t exactly turned out like I would have expected it to.  But in all the grief and loss I have experienced the last few years, there is one truth about God’s character that seems to jump off the pages of the Bible repeatedly to me, without me even trying to find it – God’s nearness.  From Genesis to Revelation, the theme of God being with his people is woven throughout.  This aspect of God’s character has given me comfort, changed my perspective on my circumstances, and drawn me to him in ways I have never imagined. Because I can’t help but find these nuggets of “God with us” all throughout His Word, I thought I’d share some of those with you, here, in the form of short, regular devotionals.  Start off your week with the assurance that God is with you – and see how that changes things, no matter what you’re going through or where you are in life.  Ask God, “Meet me here” – after all, that’s the very thing he’s asking you.

John 16:4-15

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, becauseI was with you.⁵ But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of youasks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶ But because I have said thesethings to you, sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless, I tell you thetruth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not goaway, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I willsend him to you. ⁸ And when he comes, he will convict theworld concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹ concerning sin, becausethey do not believe in me;¹⁰ concerningrighteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me nolonger; ¹¹ concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world isjudged.

¹² “I still have many things tosay to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ When the Spirit of truthcomes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak onhis own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he willdeclare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, forhe will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ All that the Father has ismine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it toyou.

Context

This is Jesusspeaking to his disciples before he goes to the cross.  He knows where he’s going – and that he willeventually die, rise again from the grave, and then ascend back intoHeaven.  But they have no idea.  And then he tells them this – he’s leaving,and it’s to their advantage.  But he’sGod with them! How could that be to their advantage? God among, God with… he’sgoing to send a Helper. The Holy Spirit. God, who will dwell within.

Questions to Consider

1. Whatare all the things you notice here that the Helper (he’s referring here to theHoly Spirit) will do? These aren’t the only things the Holy Spirit does for us,but they are significant ones.  Check outJohn 14:26, Romans 8:1-11 and 26-28, and Ephesians 1:13-14 for more insightinto the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
2. Whatdo you think that Jesus had in mindwhen he said that it is better for him to leave so that the Holy Spirit cancome?
3. Howdoes knowing the Holy Spirit dwells within the hearts of believers impact yourlife today? In what ways can his presence as he dwells within you change howyou view your current circumstances?

God,you are the One who walked among his people in the Garden, the One who dweltamong His people on earth, as God in the Flesh, and also the One who dwellswithin.  God the Father, God the Son, andGod the Holy Spirit.  We praise you forbeing with us, no matter your personhood – that you are the same God yesterday,today, and forever.  Would you work in usto know and believe that you dwell within us, and would you help that to changehow we view our lives and our world today? 

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Find all of the devotionals, including the introductory explanation post, here.