Do you have a best friend?...That person that will help you move your couch that weighs a ton, that person who will call you when you are sick and bring you chicken soup, that person who won’t leave your side and stops their whole world when you lose a loved one, that person you can laugh, cry, vent your frustrations to, who sees your good and your bad sides and loves you anyway? Yeah, I didn’t think so…for most of us finding that one friend who can, or will, do all of these things is an extreme rarity. We often have friends who will do some of these things, but not all. And let’s be honest, are we that friend to someone else? Probably not. For most of us this kind of selfless, self-sacrificing love can only be found one place, in the Holy Spirit. Who else can manage to fulfill every need, exactly when we need it? The Holy Spirit is the best kind of Friend because He isn’t limited by fleshly concerns, and there is absolutely nothing that will stand in His way when He wants to minister to us. Who could find a better friend than that?
As we are approaching Shavuot it brings back reminders of the marriage between Israel and the mixed multitude, and our Lord. Shavuot reminds us that we have a tie that binds to that Forever Friend, a Companion for life that we can always call on, no matter what. The sad part is WE OFTEN DON’T. How often do you stop when you can’t find your keys and say, “Holy Spirit reveal them to me?” or do you just look for 20 minutes till you get frustrated retracing every step. How often do you vent about a co-worker to someone, but you haven’t prayed for them or for guidance in dealing with the situation? How often do you try to move that proverbial couch without praying for the strength to do so and without injury? Let’s be honest, TOO OFTEN! It may seem like small little things, but they add up to a larger relationship that is devoid of intimacy. The Holy Spirit wants you to return to your first love. Come back to Mount Sinai where you were united in holy matrimony. Come back to the Garden of Eden where you walked with one another in the cool of the day. Come back to relationship!
If you have been feeling lonely, rejected, ignored, or just in need of a good friend, look no further, John 14:16 says, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—.“ That is such a beautiful word FOREVER. Forever means that we cannot be separated by time, or distance, or emotions, or seasons of life, things that often separate our earthly friendships. To abide with the Holy Spirit forever is such an awesome gift. This Shavuot let us renew our love and commitment to ABIDE with the Lover of our souls. To seek His face and not just His hand. One of my favorite lines from a Christian song says, “Everything lives where the River runs, I come alive, I come alive!” The River is the Holy Spirit and truly everything and every aspect of our lives comes alive when He is there to infuse it with life giving water. Allow your love life, your work life, your friend life, your financial life, your home life, your health life, etc. to be touched this Shavuot. For truly we have a good friend in the Holy Spirit. Allow His cleansing flow to flood every area of your thirsty soul! Receive His love!