The Blessing of the Holy Spirit

-Janice Delphin-Alleyne

It has been over the last several months, I have truly discovered the magnitude of the gift that we, as Believers, have been given in and through the Holy Spirit. From my humble point of view, the Holy Spirit may be the least understood and perceived as the least influential aspect of the Godhead. Yet this could not be further from the truth. In recent months, the topic of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Godhead, has repeatedly shown up in my life, including through a series taught at my church and a seven-week women’s Bible class connected to discerning the voice of God. Because of all of this my attention has piqued as I leaned in, eager to learn more. In doing so, I have been on a journey of discovery that has unveiled so much in connection with the Holy Spirit. With each new level of insight and revelation, I have realized how incredibly blessed we are to have the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the active agent of God’s presence here on earth. When Jesus was preparing to return to be with the Almighty Father, He prepared the disciples for his departure, sharing that in His absence, the Holy Spirit would be with them. Jesus made this promise to the disciples, as we see through the following scripture:

“But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor –Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.”

Jesus shared with the disciples the importance of Him going away. Notice this scripture verse from the book of John:

“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.”

~ John 16:7 NLT

The beautiful element in what Jesus was sharing with his disciples is that we as Believers too, are beneficiaries of the gift of the Holy Spirit. When each of us chose to receive the gift of salvation, confessing Jesus Christ as our risen Lord, the Holy Spirit took residence within us, indwelling within us as a function of our newfound faith and belief in Jesus Christ. Paul the Apostle speaks to this through the following scripture:

“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”

~ Romans 8:9 NIV

Therefore, we too, have access to the same Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener and Standby. The Spirit of Truth lives within us to teach us and call forth to our remembrance that which needs to be brought to the forefront of our awareness. When we yield to the whispers of the Holy Spirit, we welcome the pivotal role that the Holy Spirit longs to play in our lives in order to positively influence so many aspects of our Christian walk of faith, including but not limited to: revealing Jesus’ nature to us, helping us to distinguish right from wrong, helping us to discern God’s voice, guiding us as we navigate life and leading us as we carry out our God-given purpose, thus playing a part in our anointing.

Even while convicting of our sin, the Holy Spirit has our best interest at heart. The conviction of the Holy Spirit prompts us towards confession, restoring us to a right relationship with God, draws us closer to God, points toward a solution and is loving, as a gentle nudge. This is in stark contrast to the condemnation of the enemy, whose mission is to accuse us, draw us towards feelings of guilt, shame and other disempowering feelings, separate us from God, attempt to keep us in a state of prolonged trouble, hardship and adversity and derail our efforts to reach our destiny.

As I meditate on all of the above, I can not help but stand in gratitude and awe that I could be the beneficiary of all that the Holy Spirit provides simply through my wholehearted confession, belief and faith in Jesus Christ as my risen Lord and Savior. There are not enough words to capture the depth of my feelings, knowing that the Holy Spirit is with me to guide me in being all that I am meant to be in Christ and towards living my best life in Christ.

In those moments when life stretches us beyond our limit, whatever the reason, may we be reminded of the gift of the Holy Spirit. May we remember that we are never alone. May we draw comfort from the fact that we are not left to have to navigate life on our own, attempting to singlehandedly figure everything out. The Holy Spirit is with us always. The Holy Spirit is one whisper away. How blessed we are.

-Daya Raja