Email from Abiding Place Daily Bread – April 30, 2025 (The Fourth Day – Genesis 1:14-19) John 14:16 – And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Paraclete, Who will remain with you forever. The Holy Spirit, Our Helper The Holy Spirit, as our Parakletos, helps us in our weaknesses. We do not know how to pray for ourselves properly, so the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26). Paul expresses the deepest kind of intercession in which the Holy Spirit groans through our own emotions – an expression of intense personal care the Holy Spirit has for each individual. This underscores how God does not reject us because of our infirmities, but instead, goes to work on our behalf to help us. The Holy Spirit is shown to be our partner and helper in the areas of our life where we are most weak and vulnerable. Just as Christ Jesus died for us when we were without strength, the Holy Spirit takes up our part in the most needy areas of our lives. His intercessions express the deepest attachment and concern for our spiritual growth. His prayers for us are unutterable “groanings” (στεναγμός – stenagmos), the crying out for the help only God can give – groanings similar to those of Israel calling out to God in Egypt, yet deeper still (Acts 7:34). The Holy Spirit has come into our lives to succor us. He has come to help us and to keep us from falling. The work of redemption God has supplied to us is to present us faultless before God (Jude 20-24). The Lord searches the heart of each one of us and knows our weakness and strengths according to the mind of the Spirit. We are not despised by God because of our weaknesses, but instead, our Helper comes to our aid and teaches us and strengthens us in all that is pleasing the Father. We can be assured, the One Who began a good work in us and placed us in the care of His Holy Spirit will finish what He began. God has established our sure and certain help both in Heaven and in Earth by the intercessions of our Parakletos in Heaven and our Parakletos in us. Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 4/30/2025
