The Best Gift

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9

As Christians, most of us have fully embraced the truth that Jesus has saved us from our sins. We understand that we are forgiven. We may not understand every theological detail, but we live our days knowing that God has saved us by His grace, through our belief in Jesus.

Unfortunately, however, many believers have stopped right there. They are going through life not knowing and enjoying the fullness of their salvation. They are missing the truth that the God who gave them new life wants to guide them in this new life. The God that loves them wants to lead them. The God who gave His Son to die for them now wants to give them His wisdom to direct them. They have missed the truth that salvation is not just for heaven…it is also for now.

The guidance of God through His Spirit is one of the greatest gifts we have been given as followers of Jesus. That is why Jesus told His disciples in John 16:7, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” Have you ever pondered this truth…that Jesus said it was better for us to have the Holy Spirit living in us than to have Jesus with us in the flesh? Most of us think the opposite is true. We wish we could have Jesus in front of us to answer every question and guide us through life.

Why is the Spirit in us better? I do not claim to have all of the answers, and I certainly do not know exactly what Jesus was thinking when He spoke those words to His followers. But here is what I do know – Jesus is always right. If He said it was better this way, then it is better this way. If you think about it, it kind of makes sense. Jesus in the flesh – while fully God – was limited by time and space. He couldn’t be in two places at the same time. He couldn’t have two different conversations at one time. He couldn’t meet every need simultaneously. He had to sleep. But the Spirit is not limited by the earthly shackles that Jesus chose to bear.

The guidance of the Holy Spirit is truly a gift. It holds nearness to God and intimacy with God. God’s Spirit is not just with us as believers, He is in us.

God, thank You for the gift of Your Spirit living in me. Teach me to listen and obey His guidance so that my life will bring You glory. In Jesus' name, amen.