Through The Bible in a Year - July 23, 2026

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” - John 16:7

It was Passover—a celebration meal. But Jesus made a statement that drained all the joy out of the room: “I am going away.” The disciples were so filled with sorrow they couldn’t even speak.

And then Jesus said something that must have seemed impossible to believe: “It is to your advantage that I go away.”

How could that possibly be true? How could losing Jesus—the one who calmed storms, raised the dead, healed the sick, walked with them and taught them and loved them—how could losing Him be an advantage?

Because when Jesus was physically present on earth, He was only appearing in one place at one time. But when Jesus sent the Helper—the Holy Spirit—the goodness of Jesus would be present everywhere, with every believer, at every moment, in every circumstance. Not limited by geography or physicality. Not absent when you need Him most.

In addition, the Helper would not be an inferior substitute. He would make the power and love of Jesus available to every struggling, failing, grieving, searching person in every corner of the world.

I think of a young woman named Sarah who moved to a new city, endured a hard breakup, had no friends, was under tremendous stress at a new job, and was spiraling into serious depression. The memory verses of her youth failed her. She couldn’t muster the strength to pray.

When her pastor listened to her story, he said: “I know it feels as though someone has put a blanket over your soul and that God has turned His back on you. But God has not gone anywhere. He is still with you.”

That’s Jesus’ promise in John 16:7. The promise to send the Holy Spirit means that you never have to conclude merely that “God was with you.” God is with you. The Helper has come. He is not only where you once were, but where you actually are now—in the depression, in the grief, in the loneliness, in the moment when nothing seems to be working right. God is with you.

Respond: Where does “your advantage” of the Holy Spirit’s presence, power, and care feel impossible to believe right now? What loss, what hardship, what closed door makes you feel like you’ve been abandoned to something worse?

Jesus said these words to disciples who were about to watch Him be crucified. Still, He was proven right and his promise came true. The Helper came. At Pentecost, the Spirit came upon the disciples in visible and audible power, and then showed his continuing power and blessing in the expansion of the church. Nothing was ever the same. Despite the hardships and challenges the disciples would face, the Holy Spirit was with them and God’s purposes were furthered and fulfilled.

This week, practice saying to yourself—even if you can’t fully feel it yet: “The Helper has come. He is with me here. Not despite my circumstances—in them.” Let that truth be the first thing you say each morning before the day’s weight and worry settles in.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I confess right now that Jesus’s words, “it is to your advantage that I go away” sound hollow. I want Him here, visible, tangible. But He promised the Helper—the full presence and power of His care would now be made available to me everywhere, always, in every circumstance. I believe that promise—help me to remember it in times of trial or trouble. Give me faith that the Helper has come to where I actually am right now in my pain and struggle. Strengthen me by the faith that You are here. In Jesus’ name, Amen.