Your 24/7 Companion – Day 1

For most people, loneliness poses a threat and a big challenge. Maybe because, during loneliness, we are confronted by silence and are forced to be in our own company – hopefully to arrange one’s own thoughts. Yet, loneliness is a perception that often exists in the absence of a physical and visible person.

In John 14:16-17, Jesus promises his disciples that he will never leave them alone: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor (Helper) to be with you forever – the Spirit of the 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.”

What a staggering thought: the believer that loves the Lord, has a 24/7 companion with him! The third person in the Godhead, the Holy Spirit, has come to permanently make home with us! Invisible indeed, but more present than someone you can physically touch.

What does this mean for our lives? Firstly, that we never have to face any situation alone or ever feel that we are forsaken by man and God when things go wrong. The Holy Spirit lives with you and in you, and wants to support you. After all, he knows the limits of your abilities!

Secondly, it implies a very intimate cord exists between the believer and the Holy Spirit. In ancient society, the separation between rich and poor was immense – the rich controlled the politics and law, and injustices towards the poor could easily be committed. To counteract this injustice, someone from the higher class was dedicated to a poor person to teach him what was expected of him. This person was called a paraclete – someone alongside you. Do you realise that the one alongside you, your Paraclete, is the Holy Spirit himself? He knows what you need and wants to teach and help you to distinguish between right and wrong.

However, there’s something else: we can know the Holy Spirit. He teaches us 24/7 what truth is … if we will allow him to teach and remind us about everything Jesus taught us while he was on earth.

Yes, you might not necessarily have all the answers and solutions to your problems and questions immediately, but you need not experience them alone. The Holy Spirit is with you … and in you! That in itself strengthens you and gives you hope for a better tomorrow.