Your 24/7 Companion

Scripture: Luke 24:49

After Jesus rose from the dead He appeared to His disciples who up to that moment  thought He was still dead. No wonder they thought He was a ghost when He greeted  them with, "Peace to you!" It was only when He showed them his hands and feet and asked for something to eat that they knew He is alive (again)!

Knowing that He will soon return to His Father and that his disciples will be alone, He confirms the promise He made to them before His crucifixion, namely that He will  ask his Father to send them the Holy Spirit, "Behold I send the Promise of My Father upon you." This time though He adds, "But tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49)

What He promises here is that the 24/7 Companion who, as we have seen yesterday, will abide in and with us, will also endue us with power.

But firstly He explains to them the meaning of His death and resurrection. They have to clearly understand that God's purpose and plan for mankind is being realised in Jesus and that He wants to use them to convey this message to all people.  It is for this reason they will have to be supernaturally equipped.

You and I cannot experience the peace He spoke of when He greeted His disciples in this broken and mixed-up world of ours if the Holy Spirit does not empower us. Let alone telling others about it! Like the disciples we often fear, doubt His words and promises, struggle to believe in Him and fail to understand or see the obvious! We need Him to open our eyes on a daily basis to recognize and understand who He really is.

That is why our "tarry until you are endued with power" is not a once off experience but a continuous dependency on Him to endue us with power in every circumstance. In reality it means that you and I have to be in an active, living relationship with Him and not trust in our own (imperfect) abilities and (poor) insights.  After all, His power is from above and knows no restrictions.

Prayer: Father thank you that I need not live my life alone or try to do things by myself. Thank you that you sent the Holy Spirit to endue me with power to enable me to effectively  tell others about You and to live my life in honor of You. Keep me from doing anything in my own power.  Amen.