A Tale of Two Couples
You’ve probably heard of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. Well, this is a tale of two couples and how it taught me about God’s provision for my life and family. When we were a young working couple, Dave and I had a slightly older couple who came into our lives and supported us. They were surrogate grandparents to our children as they were born. They were our late-night counselors when work stress became overwhelming. They welcomed us into their social circle and taught us what hospitality looked like. And then, when we were very dependent on them, they shared the news that they were moving to Georgia. In my inner being, I panicked. How would we make it without being able to jump in the car in an emergency and drive a couple miles to their home to get hugs and courage in the face of a storm? Who would hug our kids and laugh with us as they grew and challenged us? What kitchen table would we linger and “do life” at? It seemed like an unfillable hole.
What I didn’t realize was that God already knew, and He was already putting circumstances in place that would bring another couple, also a bit older, into our world. He would connect the dots and provide for us in ways we couldn’t have asked or imagined. This second couple brought seasoned engineering knowledge, a love of nature and the outdoors, and a faith in God to the friendship. They worshipped at our church, but we didn’t really know them. We shared some mutual friends. And shortly after the first couple moved, the husband in this second couple became the godfather for our youngest child. God provided and continues to provide.
That was the story that was unfolding in John 14. Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure. In that preparation, He promised to send the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that even though He was leaving, He would not leave his disciples alone, unsupported, unguided, unprotected. That provision extends to us too.
“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…All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:16-18, 25-26
In the Old Testament, long before Jesus walked the earth, the prophet Isaiah told of a future time when not just an elect few were given the Spirit, but all people of faith would receive Him and that God’s Spirit would stay with each believer. He would not come and go.
“I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.” Isaiah 44:3b
In Isaiah 59, the prophet describes people’s sinful, disappointing behavior. And then God describes how He will come and work His righteous way, including using Isaiah to speak His word. It doesn’t end with Isaiah; He says, “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.” (v. 21)
And in Ezekiel, scriptures provide this beautiful promise,
“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. Ezekiel 11:19-20
We will have this “new spirit” because God’s Holy Spirit will be IN us. At Christmas we often rehearse the scripture Matthew 1:23 “and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”).” Immanuel, God with us. That’s what Jesus was—God with humanity, God come to earth. The Holy Spirit also is that--God with us, literally in us. In the Old Testament, the prophets promised. In the Gospels, Jesus promised. In Acts, the promise was kept (Acts 2:4). The Holy Spirit comes—a gift to each believer for the rest of time. God dwells IN us. All humans are made in God’s image. When we accept Jesus and become a Christian, God, in the form of the Holy Spirit, comes to dwell in us.
He is our comforter, our advocate, the revealer of truth, and convicter of sin. He is our helper and guide. Those who do not belong to Christ have no “interpreter” to guide them to know and understand God’s Word. They do not have One who will intercede for them with God (Romans 8:26). The Holy Spirit is God’s seal on His people. He is the One who gives us our story of who we are in Jesus.
God has kept His promise to us in sending the Holy Spirit. Each time a promise from scripture is kept, it communicates to a hurting, disillusioned humanity that our God—three-in-one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—can be trusted and is truly dependable.
When your world feels unpredictable and untrustworthy, remember that you have GOD in you. The Holy Spirit dwells in each believer. It is your greatest hope to live your day fully in God’s power, seeing the world through His eyes, bringing His kingdom to your community in all that you do and in the ways that you embrace your circumstances. You don’t have to do anything more than believe. The promise has been kept. God is with you. You are never alone. You are never unseen.
Holy Spirit have your way. Guide. Comfort. Sustain. Assure. Equip. Empower.
(For further reading: Joel 2:28-29, Ezekiel 36:26-27, Matthew 28:18-20, John 15:26-27, Acts 1:4-8)