Broken Bread
Daily Devotions from the Daily Light
by Evan Hopkins
June 23
I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter . . . even the Spirit of truth.--John 14:16, 17
We can truly understand how truly the disciples felt that Christ was their Comforter. To lose Him would seem to them to be bereft of the one Great source of consolation. As far as His visible presence was concerned, He was about to withdraw Himself from them. To those who clung to the outward Man this was a sore trial. But He tells them that He was about to send them another Comforter. Not that He Himself in His real spiritual Presence would no longer be with them. For He says expressly, "I will not leave you comfortless [orphans]; I will come to you." And again He declares concerning His spiritual Presence, "And, lo, I am with you alway" (Matt. 28:20). It would still be true that in Him they should have peace (John 16:33). The privileges of the Gospel would not grow less as His redemption advanced; nay, they would increase. They should have Him still with them, though not in the same way.