One Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about. The daughter answered, “Don’t be scared, you’ll get your quilt.” Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what that morning’s Sunday school lesson was about. He said “Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming.”
John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.”
The world is completely filled up with fear. No matter where you direct your attention there is something to be afraid of. Some fears are so big that we cannot even begin to take care of them, like wars and natural disasters. Others are in the middle, as in washing your hands before you eat will help keep you from getting sick. And then there are the ones so small but so dangerous…like certain bacteria. How often do we get completely freaked out when watching a news program? After the hour is up one could be left with little hope for this life and this world. But we have a comforter. The Holy Spirit. And the more we are filled/covered the less there is to be afraid of.
Pouring Out Like Sweat - Several years ago, Gatorade had an ad with Michael Jordan where he was covered in orange drops of sweat. The image says clearly that Michael Jordan is so full of Gatorade that it is literally pouring out of him like sweat. That’s an appropriate image of the Holy Spirit in us. If the Holy Spirit is living inside of you, there’s going to be evidence. Whatever is inside of you is eventually going to come out of you. If you squeeze a grape, you’re going to get grape juice. If you squeeze an apple, you’re going to get apple juice. If you squeeze a prune, you’re going to get prune juice. Whatever is on the inside is eventually going to come out. And if the Spirit is in us, it will come out in our lives.
Be filled with the Holy Spirit, be filled with peace…..Peace not as the world gives, but as the Holy Spirit gives.
Nettie Covalt, Pastor
First Presbyterian Church
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