After scaling a 350-foot rock wall, my climbing partner and I came face-to-face with a massive ice formation—thick, solid, and vertical. Too good an adventure to pass up, we began crunching into the solid wall of blue-green ice with our ice axes and the spikes of our climbing boots.
Suddenly and unexpectedly, I lost my nerve. We had no support ropes, and the thought that any fall would be catastrophic filled my mind. My friend moved closer and assured me that my technique was looking good. As I dug my axe into the ice, he hammered it even deeper with his own—making sure it was secure. Near the summit, he smiled and reassured me once more, and I topped out feeling happy, relaxed, and confident.
In John 16:7, “the Advocate” is translated from the Greek word paracletos. It means “One called alongside.” Jesus knew that His disciples needed more than someone walking with them; they needed Someone who could walk so close that He could guide their every footstep, prevent them from going down the wrong path, and assure them when times were tough (John 16:13). He had to be a close friend they could trust, another Advocate who would never leave them. So Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth (John 14:16-17).
Having the Spirit alongside us doesn’t mean He gets the job done for us. We must individually walk by faith as we go through the trials of life on earth, just as the disciples did. But as we stay in step with the Spirit, He encourages and helps us. When we’re in danger of stepping off the right path, He guides, corrects, and assures us. And when we fall, He intervenes and restores us. This is our Paracletos, the Holy Spirit who provides rest and peace, even in places of peril.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
More:
Read Acts 2:4-41 and consider the power and authority of the Holy Spirit that Peter exhibited as he preached the gospel.
Next:
How do you reveal the work of the Holy Spirit in your life? Is He your guide every day?
Gary Shultz on December 9, 2015 at 5:50 am
I’m not sure what to say about the blog. The lesson is a good one and I like the comparisons of the Spirit, that He is the enabler of our faith not the doer of it. It would be really nice to have you around a little longer. I guess I just scratch my head when seemly sane people take high risks just for sport. The loss of nerve my be a message also, that’s really preachy and probably none of my business, but hey, you included it, and you seem like such a likable sort. Thanks, be safe Christmas is coming.
russell fralick on December 9, 2015 at 1:37 pm
It’s horses for courses as we say over here Gary! Some things suit some of us, other things suit others! The issue comes when adventure, or “danger” sports are a means to gratify ego or live off adrenaline. I understand the concern with that, and it is a battle I have fought in the past, which made me quit such arenas for a number of years. I am back into it these days and the ego has been honed and shaped by the One who made me the way I am. Once under His authority I am free to express my personality in ways that some enjoy, and others don’t understand…and both are fine! I didn’t think you were being preachy. 🙂
gshafer11 on December 9, 2015 at 8:33 am
Hi Russel, thank you for the devotion. It is helpful to envision such a gripping example of overcoming fear and understanding the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Keep climbing!
russell fralick on December 9, 2015 at 1:39 pm
Thanks! I find our Advocate is very near all the time, but almost tangible when we are really fearful. I hope to be out on the ice again in the coming weeks…weather permitting!
Tom Felten on December 9, 2015 at 8:43 am
Russell, thanks for your chilling illustration! Wow, what amazing power exists within us by means of the Holy Spirit. May we yield to the Spirit’s ways today—experiencing counsel, conviction, and comfort, and living out a life that powerfully points others to Jesus!
russell fralick on December 9, 2015 at 1:40 pm
Amen Tom!
poohpity on December 9, 2015 at 9:24 am
That is exactly how I felt the first time I shared the Gospel. Every fiber of my being shook and I thought I would never get the words out as I was depending on self to accomplish but the minute I asked for the words from the Lord the ice became as pools of water then each time after it became easier. It seems we can become frozen in our climb it may not be as in climbing a mountain but when one really looks at it the comparisons are very similar any time we step out in faith.
russell fralick on December 9, 2015 at 1:45 pm
That is absolutely right. In addition, I have been climbing for many years now, and did not expect to get the jolt of paralysis that I described in the article. The same is true of our Christian walk, and I think it is important we get such jolts regularly as we seek to serve our Saviour. This keeps us reliant upon Him, and not stuck in a “routine” or system of how we do our lives, or how we tell others about Jesus. It’s not a system, it’s a Person, with an infinite personality, and we must be in tune with His Spirit in order to divulge that exact part of His Personality to the person we are engaging with in that moment. A healthy dose of fear as we realise, “hey, I can’t do this alone!” is a very useful tool, I find, though it is always scary!
Roxanne Robbins on December 9, 2015 at 11:31 am
Such a timely read as I’ve been mulling over what it means for God to walk beside us. Does that merely mean He’s in close proximity, watching? How remarkable and comforting when to grasp He is with us as our advocate, as explained in what your wrote: “In John 16:7, “the Advocate” is translated from the Greek word paracletos. It means “One called alongside.”
russell fralick on December 9, 2015 at 1:48 pm
That’s right Roxanne. And I find it extraordinary, and unique to our faith, that this Paracletos doesn’t only watch; He is active and dynamic. He gets stuck in to our daily lives, helping and guiding. He’s not some benign, non-committal old man wringing His hands; He is a dose of pure dynamite, just when we need Him!