Day 5: Into all truth
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come (John 16:13 – NKJV).
Praise be to You, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Through Him, You have given us, along with everything we need for a godly life, (2 Peter 1:3-4), the very Presence of God—in the person of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).
Knowing the treacherous terrain of this earthly journey, our Saviour promised His disciples,
"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" (John 14:16-18).
We saw this promise fulfilled in the gospel accounts and in the New Testament writings; and we have seen the evidence of the all-powerful Holy Spirit in the lives of believers through the centuries—just as the Lord Jesus said.
We are grateful, Lord, that the promise is also for us, and for all believers in the Lord Jesus through all generations. We are keenly aware that we cannot navigate the darkness and deception around us without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In every area of life, we are constantly confronted with blatant forces of evil, and spiritual wickedness in heavenly places, manifested in events in the natural world.
Every last vestige of self-reliance is being stripped away from us as the systems, structures and norms that we have relied on are engulfed in chaos, confusion, lies, deception, deceit, and disinformation. Even the "evidence" of our own eyes and ears cannot always be trusted. The words of the prophet resonate so deeply with us, Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey (Isaiah 59:15).
We are exposed on many fronts and the dangers are real in the spiritual and in the natural realm. Our health, our relationships, our finances, our goods and services, our resources, our governments, our safety—are at risk and are increasingly compromised.
Father, the year is new, but the deceptions are as old as the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray (Revelation 12:9). Our Lord Jesus warned us that he is the father of lies (John 8:44).
Except for Your great mercy—except for Your defense, Your providence, and Your protection, we would be consumed (Lamentations 3:22). But thank You that we need not face the slippery slopes of madness and mayhem all about us in our own power—in our own human wisdom.
Help us to rely on the help of the Holy Spirit, who guides us into all truth. Help us to understand our great need for wisdom and discernment as we pray like the psalmist: Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground (Psalm 143:10).
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