Nick Saban is considered one of the best college football coaches ever. In a speech, he told a funny story about his wife and her high school boyfriend. Coach Saban said he first met his wife, Mrs. Terry when he was in the 8th grade at a science camp, and when he first laid eyes on her, he knew he wanted to marry her. But there was one problem: She was already dating a guy named Mickey Shafer.
Coach Saban said he tried for years to get her to go on a date with him, and she would not agree until his senior year after he helped his team win the state championship. After he won his first national championship, the town they grew up in threw a parade to honor Coach Saban’s success, and when he found out Mickey Shafer owned a gas station in the town, Coach Saban made sure the parade route passed by the gas station.
When they drove by, Coach Saban told Mrs. Terry, “If you had married Mickey Shafer, this would be your life.”
Mrs. Tammi snapped back by saying, “If I had married Mickey Shaefer, he would be the national champion football coach.”
Having the right person on our team, by our side, and giving us guidance and support can be the difference between living a normal life and being a champion.
When Jesus returned back to heaven, He left us the ultimate support system. He left us the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, along with God the Father and God the Son (Jesus Christ). During The Last Supper, Jesus tells the disciples:
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.”
Jesus says the Holy Spirit is meant to be our advocate, to help us, and to be with us forever as our Spirit of Truth.
When Jesus returned to earth after His death, He told the apostles that they would soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:5, and in Acts 1:8 He says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The Bible says when he said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight, returning him back to heaven.
When the day of Pentecost arrived, many of the apostles and followers of God were together in a house when the sound of a large wind rushed through and the Bible said they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:26-28 says:
“The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good.”
Galatians 3 says we access the Spirit by hearing with faith (3:1) and believing God (3:6). Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
We can access the Holy Spirit by reading the Bible and meditating on what we read. We also get it by praying and spending time with God. When I spend quiet time with God, I can feel and hear the Spirit speaking to me, and the more I read the Bible, the louder the voice gets.
Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
I try to never make a decision without consulting with God through the Holy Spirit, and I try to focus on being the best I can today so that I am best prepared for tomorrow.
Something(s) to Think About
1 - What is your biggest takeaway from this post?
2 - Who is someone you lean on for important decisions? Do they help you or hurt you?
3 - Have you been baptized? If so, do you speak with the Holy Spirit?
4 - If you haven’t been baptized and want to, I am sure there is someone in your circle who can help make this happen for you. Who is someone you can go to for help and support?
My Prayer
Our Father. Thank you for all the blessings you have given me, especially for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Please help me seek and lean on your guidance through the Holy Spirit more and more. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.
For a printable PDF version of this post, click here: The Holy Spirit: Our Helper and Our Advocate
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