Someone To Watch Over Me

By John Stallings

I remember when I was a kid and my parents would go out of town. As soon as we heard they were leaving my sister and I would quickly ask, “Where are you going?”

After being told where our parents were going, somewhere in the exchange of information one of us would ask “Can we go with you?” My parents didn’t go on vacations without us so we invariably knew; they being preachers, -where they were going had something to do with ministry. Maybe a convention or a ministerial seminar. More times than I can count I remember one of my parents saying, “Johnny, son you can’t come this time.”

My next question would be “Well, how long will you be gone?” After gleaning these details either my sister or I would ask the most important question of all, “Who’s gonna look after us?” An overwhelming majority of the time the person who would keep us would be my grandmother, my mother’s mother. It hurts me to say it but she and I didn’t get along all that famously but she was a great cook. Grandma Manley made the best Apple turnovers you ever tasted. Somehow we were always able to “tough it out.”

When Jesus told His disciples he was going to leave them and return to His Father, they naturally had lots of questions to ask also. “Where I’m going you can’t come” Jesus said. Like confused children the disciples asked, “Who will take care of us?” They probably asked, “Where are you going and how long will you be gone?” Jesus’ answer was, in essence; “this much I can tell you; I’m not going to leave you alone. I’ll ask my Father to send you another comforter to stay with you. He will be with you until I return.”-John14:16

In this story Jesus is the “parent” ready to take the next stage of the trip to the cross and to infinity and beyond, and the disciples are the children. Jesus even calls them “little children.” So, is it too much to think of the Holy Spirit as our “babysitter,” the one looking after us while Jesus is away getting things ready, just like he promised?

As we speak, Jesus is in heaven practicing with the heavenly angelic choir so they can roll out the red carpet and give us a rousing welcome to heaven, polishing those pearly gates so that they shine when we arrive. Or, maybe he’s at the great “Wal-Mart in the sky” picking up our favorites. Or, maybe he’s in the garden cutting fresh flowers for our rooms. He’s got to be doing something, right? He’s got to be doing something because he’s taking his own sweet time coming back. I think it safe to say that heaven is in her “last day operations” right now and Jesus is making one last check of the banquet tables.
When it comes to the Rapture, I’ve got to be frank, I cannot for the life of me figure out what’s the hold-up? I’m about ready to get outside and start doing “rapture practices.” But I’ll restrain myself. Just exactly how bad do we have to act before the Holy Spirit picks up the phone, calls Jesus, and says “Hey, man, you gotta come home. This place is out of control.”

When you asked your mother when dinner would be ready, and she said, “in a little while,” you knew you’d better get a snack. Or, when you ask your wife how long ‘til she’s ready and she answers, “in a little while,” how long is that? Suffice to say you might as well watch a John Wayne movie because it’s useless to watch the clock.

I’ve said it before but I still haven’t figured out what takes women so long to get ready to go somewhere. I can be ready to go to the Moon in thirty minutes but it’s not that simple for Juda. Women even have “nighttime rituals” for something as simple as going to bed. Women “get ready for bed.” I’ve never gotten ready for bed in my life, other than brushing my teeth. I just go to bed and I suspect most men do the same.

Biblically speaking, “in a little while” seems to mean 10 years, 100 years, 500 years, 1000 years. From where we sit in 2016, it’s been so long since Jesus said, “I’ll be back in a little while” that some folk wonder if he has forgotten. They ask, “Is he gone for good? And if he is gone, where has he gone and what in the world will we do without him? And what is he doing, exactly, and why doesn’t he show himself?” It’s just like the child waiting for their parents to come back and take charge. “Who will watch over us? And, what do we do in the meantime?”

AN ALL IMPORTANT QUESTION

That’s the question of questions. What do we do in the meantime? Well, one thing’s for sure, the ministry must go on in the meantime. If the disciples could do it, we can do it. No offense to them, but they were no better than us. Jesus promised an Advocate to these disciples and us. This is important - he did not expect them – or us – to be faithful all by themselves. He didn’t expect them to do anything by themselves. In fact, in the Gospel of John, he tells them they CAN’T do anything by themselves.

He is sending an advocate – in the Greek, the word Advocate means- one who is called alongside. The Holy Spirit is called alongside them to strengthen them to do all kinds of things that they could never do for themselves. Someone to teach and advise, but also someone who watches over us, comes alongside and handles situations that baffle us. We could all use an Advocate.

IN OBEDIENCE TO CHRISTS COMMAND THE BELIEVERS WAITED AND THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. -Acts 2:1-4

Do you remember the TV show “Designing Women?” I usually don’t get interested in these “all girl sitcoms,” but occasionally I enjoyed this one. I guess it’s the “Georgia Boy” in me and also the fact that I liked Dixie Carter, at least her character in the show.

She died a while back, and columnist Connie Schultz wrote a tribute to her and her Designing Women character, Julia Sugarbaker. In this article, she says, “The passing of actor Dixie Carter has reminded me just how much most of us could use a friend like Julia Sugarbaker… the smartest and sassiest woman in the Southern Georgia foursome of "Designing Women."

Oh, the thrill whenever Carter's Julia Sugarbaker set her sights on someone who had committed the crime of small-minded thinking, be it prejudice, sexism or just plain stupidity.” That was Julia’s thing – getting riled up – her loyalty made her a fierce power to behold. My favorite scene is at a beauty pageant after Julia hears an arrogant Miss Georgia bad-mouth her baby sister and former Miss Georgia, Suzanne Sugarbaker.

Carter comes alongside of this beauty queen, Marjorie, and lets loose the storm of sisterhood: she defends Suzanne and her baton twirling talent so passionately and so eloquently that you want to stand up and cheer. This is her finale: "And you probably didn't know, Marjorie, that Suzanne was not just any Miss Georgia; she was the Miss Georgia. She didn't twirl just a baton; that baton was on fire. And when she threw that baton into the air, it flew higher, farther, faster than any baton has ever flown before — hitting a transformer and showering the darkened arena with sparks. And when it finally did come down, Marjorie, my sister caught that baton, and 12,000 people jumped to their feet for 16 and one-half minutes of uninterrupted thunderous ovation as flames illuminated her tear-stained face. And that, Marjorie — just so you will know and your children will someday know — is the night “The lights went out In Georgia."

Connie Schultz ends her article by saying, no matter how old we get, there’ll always be a Mean Girls Club. Most of us yearn for that Julia Sugarbaker kind of friend who overhears the nasty gossip and steps up to unravel the yarn on our behalf.

Friend, the Holy Spirit is kind of the Julia Sugarbaker of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is the one who gets fired up, riled up, fed up and who steps up, who Advocates, who strengthens and inspires and who is in charge, and who does not mind reminding us that he’s in charge until Big Daddy comes home. That’s the plan Stan!

God knows that the Christian life is too difficult to be done alone. When it comes to following Jesus, nothing is done alone. We have his spirit inside us.

We can’t change God’s schedule, but, in the meantime, we have this Advocate watching over us, ready to come along side us and inspire us and lead us on.

It is interesting to note that the word "comforter" was also used for legal aid or the counsel for the defense; so the Holy Spirit is that. Jesus is our aid at the right hand of the Father; the Holy Spirit is our aid on earth. Jesus is an advocate in Heaven; the Holy Spirit is a conditional advocate on earth.

The reason Jesus had to return to Heaven was twofold. First, He went to do His work. Hebrews 7:25,

"Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them."

Second, He went to give the Holy Spirit HIS work to do.

There are other times when He will empower and strengthen OTHERS to say just the words you need and give you just the comfort you need. This does not mean the Holy Spirit is not doing the comforting. He is leading and strengthening someone and using him to comfort us and strengthen us in our time of need. At times He runs alongside to help and there is no human aid in sight. At other times, He leads someone to come to us to be our aid, our comforter, to pick us up. In either case, this is the work of the Spirit. He simply sometimes chooses to use human help.

In my own life there have been many times the Holy Spirit alone has been my comforter. In the mid-nineties, I lost both my parents within a six month period. I can remember standing by their caskets and though my heart was breaking I could feel the Holy Spirit comforting me. I could almost feel fingers touching my arm. It was the Holy Spirit coming HIMSELF to watch over me, to look out for me and give me comfort.

Then this same Holy Spirit led others to speak words of comfort to me; He led loving friends to encourage my heart. He was comforting and strengthening me both WITH and WITHOUT human instruments. The Christian should yield himself to the Holy Spirit in order that the Spirit may use him to comfort, strengthen and restore others.

When the Christian writes a note of comfort, he should ask the Holy Spirit to deliver it for him and to use it as a strength and comfort. When a word of comfort or strength is spoken to a bereaved or weary friend, the power of the Holy Spirit should accompany that word. Hence, the Christian should speak to the Holy Spirit BEFORE he speaks the word of comfort, asking Him to speak words that he cannot speak and to leave impressions that he cannot leave in order that he may be used as a tool of the Holy Spirit to comfort and strengthen the discouraged, weak, lonely, bereaved or fallen brother. There is a wonderful truth in John 14:26,

"But the Comforter, Which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

Notice the words, "and bring all things to your remembrance." The Spirit-led and Spirit-filled Christian may so yield himself to the Holy Spirit that when he comforts , the Holy Spirit will bring to mind what he ought to say. The Christian will enter into the very work of the Spirit Himself as a tool to be a comforter.

Thank God for those times the Holy Spirit Himself has come to lift me up and strengthen, and to comfort me. Thank the Lord for those times when He has touched a friend and spoken through him as a human instrument to comfort me and strengthen me and lift me up. And thank God for those times when He has used me as a tool to comfort others! My prayer is,-Oh, Holy Spirit, use me again and again and again and again to strengthen the weak, lift up the fallen, encourage the discouraged, offer fellowship to the lonely, give a smile to the sad and comfort to the bereaved and weary.

It is interesting to note that in a sense Jesus had to leave in order for the Holy Spirit to come, that the Christian might be benefited to the fullest. For one thing, Jesus can serve us better in his glory and we can do greater works because the Holy Spirit came.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father." –John 14:12

Jesus entered the very presence of the Father; at the Father's side He can help us and intercede for us. He knows our needs more. He felt them while He was here, so He can send the Holy Spirit to dispense the fulfillment of our needs. Hence, He helps the Father to know our needs. Though He doesn't have to persuade the Father to help us, He does remind Him of what help we need. Jesus isn’t interceding for sinners, that’s our job. He’s interceding for you and me.

When I was a young pastor, I did so many things myself that I later had others to do. I have filled the baptistery, prepared the communion cups, cleaned the building, turned on the lights, turned on the heat/AC, printed the church bulletin, drove the church bus, taught a Sunday School class and of course preached. Sometimes I even led singing. However, with the passing of the years and the increasing of the church membership I‘d have others to do what I used to do. Though I’d miss the personal contact and many of the tasks, it is expedient to my church people that I administrate so that greater works can be done than were once done when I did it all myself. I could say to my people, "It is expedient that I go to administrate, for I can send many others to do the work that I did and get more done."

Jesus was our comforter while He was here, though in a sense He continues to comfort from the right hand of the Father. He has sent us the Holy Spirit to comfort us and through that Holy Spirit greater works can be done than were done when our Lord was here.

I am sitting in our computer room now writing these words. If Jesus were in Jerusalem tonight, I would catch the first plane tomorrow morning and I would fly to see Him. However, in all probability I wouldn’t get to see Him or talk to Him, for millions of others would be seeking the same privilege as I.

If He were here on earth, it just may be I would never get to touch His hand, see His face or talk to Him personally. But now that He’s gone and has sent the Holy Spirit, He is in this room with me in the wee hours of the morning, and I feel His presence. I can talk with Him. In this sense, it was expedient for me that He go away, for through the Holy Spirit, I can be with Jesus anywhere I am, even in the wee hours of the morning in a quiet room in Florida.

Isn’t it comforting that we have this Third part of the trinity to strengthen us, lift us up when we’re trodden down? Isn’t it thrilling to know we have…


…Someone to watch over us?



Blessings,



John