How Sure Are You?

There is an implication in this verse which only struck me recently. Jesus is warning the disciples that they would feel like orphans when He ascended, returning to heaven. We know that an orphan, a child without a parent to care for him, feels totally bereft, abandoned and alone. It seems strange that the disciples would feel that way, because Jesus had taught them clearly about God. He even instructed them to pray, starting with the words ‘Our Father.’

They had some knowledge of their relationship with God, but it seems that this understanding wasn’t going to be enough. They would need something more to give them a true feeling of safety and belonging, a deep assurance of their permanent place in God’s family.

Being orphaned, especially for a young child, is a most tragic situation. Those who continually cared for you, and supplied all your needs, are now gone. You must wonder who else will always understand you, and protect you. The disciples were feeling like this without Jesus physically being with them. They were missing something, and Jesus warns them so that, when they felt that way, they knew He had a solution for this deep need.

What a wonderful truth Jesus goes on to tell the disciples! You may feel alone for a while, because I must go back to My Father, but I will come again to be with you. His promise is that the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus describes as another of the same kind as Himself, will come from the Father and He will dwell in them. It is the Holy Spirit who communicates with our own human spirit, which is our deep innermost being, reassuring us that we are children of God.

‘For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children’ (Romans 8:15-16, BSB).

If you are a believer, but lack this deep assurance, then maybe you need to open yourself to receive a new infilling of the Holy Spirit. He is ready and available for you today.

Recently I was speaking to a lady whose mother died a year ago. She said she found it hard that now she was now the oldest in her family. She had no one to look to for wise council; no one who really knew her and would always be there for her. What she was expressing was that she felt a bit like an orphan. She felt alone, unanchored, and without covering.

For this lady, the truth is her mother is gone, but she doesn’t have to stay feeling like an orphan. What she needs in her grief is to find her true eternal anchor, comforter, mentor, and protector. Our situation was such that I couldn’t explore this with her at the time, but I pray that a suitable occasion will arise for a further conversation. This could be a significant moment for her eternal salvation. I pray that that feeling of being orphaned, which she expressed, will help her to recognise her deeper need to find out how to be fully adopted into God’s eternal family.