John 14:16-17a
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate
to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.
One of my favorite running authors is John Bingham. He began running in the middle of his life and transformed himself from a junk-food-eating smoker to a marathoner. Bingham has written several books and many magazine articles about his experiences and joys as a runner.
Though Bingham appeals to all runners, he focuses primarily on people who are either just starting out or starting a new phase of running. He understands the problems associated with changing a lifestyle. He sympathizes with runners as they face obstacles. In his book, The Courage to Start, Bingham encourages runners to move their focus away from their situation and complications, and to simply summon the courage to begin a new program.
Bingham stays with new runners once they have gathered that bravery. Through his teaching, he runs alongside them and guides them through the process. He provides wisdom, guidance, and encouragement from start to finish. New runners find hope in his writings and if they stick with his programs, they usually find success.
In our walk of faith, we too need courage to start. We may feel called to begin a new activity or to change an old habit. Maybe we know that God wants us to change an attitude or to forgive someone. Perhaps God is calling us to make a connection with a nonbeliever and to share our faith. Maybe we struggle with trusting God in a particular circumstance. For me, all of these things require courage.
We can be assured, though, that when God calls, He also equips. That equipping comes from the Holy Spirit. John Bingham uses his human talents and abilities to coach and motivate runners, but we are perfectly coached and motivated through God Himself. He promises in today’s verse that He will be with us and help us forever. He promises to be an advocate; this means He will be a counselor, a helper, an intercessor and a strengthener.
John Bingham does a great job with runners, but he, like any other running expert, is merely human. He cannot climb inside our hearts to guide and encourage us. He cannot comfort us in dark hours when we cannot find hope. But the Holy Spirit does this and more. He promises to help us all of our days. Let’s thank and praise Him for that and ask Him for what we need today.
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