The Daily Devotional Podcast

Abide - 13 | John 16: 1-15

• Waypoint Church

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0:00 | 4:27

This reflection shows that Jesus prepares His followers for difficulty while also promising the ongoing help and presence of the Holy Spirit. It invites us to rely less on our own strength and become more aware of God’s presence guiding and sustaining us through challenging seasons.

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“May the Lord bless you and keep you — and may His presence guide you this week.”


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Today I am reading John sixteen, verses one through fifteen. I have told you these things so that you won't abandon your faith, for you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. This is because they've never known the Father or me. Yes, I am telling you these things now so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn't tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer. But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I'm going. Instead, you grieve because of what I've told you, but in fact it's best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the advocate won't come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you, and when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world's sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own, but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine.

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This is why I said the Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me. There's a difference between walking into difficulty alone versus doing so prepared.

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The circumstances themselves may not change, but preparation changes how we carry them. Knowing someone has already seen the road ahead and has not abandoned us along the way creates a different kind of steadiness. Jesus is speaking with his disciples from that place in John 16.

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He tells them difficult days are coming.

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Opposition will come, confusion will come. There will be moments where following him feels costly and disorienting. But Jesus is not trying to create fear in them. He's preparing them for reality. I've told you this so that when their time comes you'll remember that I warned you about them. Then Jesus begins speaking about someone who's coming after his departure. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. The disciples had spent years learning through Jesus' physical presence. They watched him teach, listen to his words, and followed him from place to place. Soon that would change, and naturally there would be questions about what comes next. Jesus answers those questions with a promise. His departure does not mean distance. The Spirit would continue his work among them, guiding, teaching, reminding, remaining. Abiding was never meant to become an exercise in trying harder or remembering Jesus from far away. It was always intended to be lived through ongoing relationship with the presence of God. The disciples would face difficulty, but they would not face it alone.

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And neither do we.