Another Advocate

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate/Counselor to be with you forever---the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you (Jn. 14:16-17).

This takes my breath away ---  "another" Advocate?  Who is the first Advocate/ Counselor/ Helper? 

Were I to ask the question, I would know the answer immediately.  "Have I been with you so long, and you do not still know Me?"  

Jesus is, has been from the beginning, our Advocate, our Counselor, our Helper.  He came not to judge us, but to save us from ourselves, from the enemies that overwhelm us --- the world, the flesh, and the devil.  And now, He has gone back to heaven, but He has not left us orphans, without help.  He has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, as Advocate, as Helper, as Counselor.  

He speaks in us and for us --- and yet, we seldom trust His Voice in us.  We think we are speaking for ourselves and to ourselves.  We shrug off His help in us because we cannot believe that God would be speaking to us.  After all, we aren't on "that close" a  communication line with Him.  If only we knew!  He longs to speak with us daily, even momentarily.  But our ears are stopped by unbelief!

What if we could believe for a moment, for a day, that the Advocate is here, and that He wants -- in fact, IS, speaking in our hearts, in our minds?  Would we not worry less? put down our mental burdens? and begin to enjoy the days, the weeks, the years we have left?  Would we not laugh more, secure that we are safe? that we are being taken care of?  that we can let go and let God?

We have "another" Advocate.  I do not have to fear the world around me, the people around me, for I have a Protector, an Advisor, a Helper living within me -- and His Voice, His Power, is greater than anything there is to fear or worry about!  I can speak with Him freely, as someone speaks to a friend who will not judge or condemn, but only support and comfort.  In fact, that is His first name -- the Comforter!  and "Com/fort" means "with strength!"  

Could God give us anything greater?  Jesus referred to the Advocate as "the Gift of the Father."  How much I long for everyone I know to walk moment by moment with and in this greatest of all Gifts!