August 26 Daily Devotional

Bible Verse

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever" (John 14:16).

Devotional

The Holy Spirit dwells in the believer as an abiding Spirit. It is a permanent indwelling.

Our dear Lord laid especial stress upon this feature. When he was on the eve of leaving his disciples to return to his kingdom, he promised them "another Helper" whose spiritual presence would more than make up for his bodily absence. And, lest they should fear concerning the time of his dwelling with them, he assured them that the Spirit would abide with them forever.

Do not overlook this truth. Let no spiritual darkness, nor workings of unbelief, nor sense of indwelling sin rob you of the comfort and consolation which a believing view of it will impart. There may be times when you are not aware of the indwelling of the Spirit. Clouds and darkness may surround this fact. There may be severe trials, gloomy providences, foreboding fears—the way rough and intricate, the sky dark and wintry, faith small, unbelief strong—and your soul, from its low depths, may exclaim, "All these things are against me. Will the Lord cast me off forever? And will he be favorable no more? Is his mercy clean gone forever? Does his promise fail for evermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his tender mercies?"

Oh, do not forget that even then, dejected saint of God—even then, when all is dark within and all is desolate without—even then the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, the Helper, the Glorifier of Jesus, dwells in you, and will be with you forever.

True, you may be assailed by powerful corruptions. The "consolations of God" may seem small with you. Your prayer may seem like David's, "Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me" (Ps. 51:11). Yet he, the blessed Indweller, is there. And before long his still, small, soothing voice will be heard amidst the roaring of the tempest, hushing it to a peaceful calm.

He will "be with you forever." No wanderings, no neglect, no unkindness, no unworthiness, no unfaithfulness will ever force him from your bosom. He may withdraw his perceivable presence. He may withhold his comforting influence. He may be so grieved by a careless walk as to suspend for a while his witnessing and sanctifying power, permitting indwelling corruptions for a moment to triumph. But he restores the soul. He brings it back again. He breaks the heart, then binds it up. He wounds it, then heals it. He fills it with godly grief, then he tunes it with thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

Come, O Creator Spirit blest,
and in our hearts take up thy rest;
Spirit of grace, with heav'nly aid
come to the souls whom thou hast made.

(Anon., Latin, 10th century; tr. cento)

Be sure to read the Preface by Octavius Winslow and A Note from the Editor by Larry E. Wilson.

Larry Wilson is an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. In addition to having served as the General Secretary of the Committee on Christian Education of the OPC (2000–2004) and having written a number of articles and booklets (such as God's Words for Worship and Why Does the OPC Baptize Infants) for New Horizons and elsewhere, he has pastored OPC churches in Minnesota, Indiana, and Ohio. We are grateful to him for his editing of Morning Thoughts, the OPC Daily Devotional for 2011.