John 14:16-17 (NIV)
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
Luke 24:49 (ESV)
And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.
Acts 1:8 (ESV)
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.
This week we looked at the Holy Spirit as Helper, the Spirit of Truth, and the one who empowers. We considered what that looks like in the lives of ChildHope students. I can think of countless conversations with students who have shared with me about how the Holy Spirit has been their Helper — I am always amazed at their awareness of God’s constant presence and His desire to help them in any situation. In fact their faith and awareness of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis is a challenge to me and my faith.
It is so very “adult” of us to try to fix things ourselves. It is also a quality of our American culture to be self-reliant and independent. Yet, we can learn so much from the children of Latin America and the Caribbean. I think of my conversation with Abigail and her telling me that God wants to help us. I am sad to admit that often I turn to Him after all else fails. But He sent the Holy Spirit to be my ever present Helper.
Where do you need help today? Allow the Holy Spirit — the Helper that Jesus sent to you — to serve his purpose in your life today. Using child-like faith ask the Spirit’s help in areas you normally would not seek him.
Mary Kathleen Mahon, Ph.D.
President, ChildHope
Prayer Focus
The past year has been a challenging and discouraging time for literally the whole world. Latin America and the Caribbean has been hit harder than most of the world. Although the region where ChildHope serves accounts for only 8% of the world’s population, we have seen 25% of the deaths due to Covid. The pandemic has caused food insecurity, unemployment, and increased financial stress in communities that were already struggling. It has also resulted in a sense of hopelessness and despair. Because the present is so insecure, the future is more uncertain for our students and their families. Pray for the children in our ChildHope schools. Pray that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, restores their hope for the future. Pray that the children know and believe that they “can do all things through Christ.” Pray that the empowerment of the Holy Spirit overcomes the hopelessness they feel in the midst of this pandemic.
See other devotionals in this series.
Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.