A little girl was afraid to go to sleep at night. The streetlight shining through her window cast strange shadows on the wall. Strange night sounds led her to imagine there might be monsters coming into her room when she was sleeping. Her mother tried to soothe her. "We will leave the light on in the hall with your door open a few inches." "Mom and Dad are right across the hall." Then the mother finally said in a most comforting tone of voice, "And also remember Jesus is always here in the room with you." As her mother was leaving her bedroom, the little girl responded, "Momma, I want a Jesus with skin on."

We have all felt that way at times in our lives. If only Jesus were with me in person with skin and hair and eyes. If only I could see and touch him, how much more comforting and secure it would be when troubles come to us. Then we could sing, "What a Friend we have in Jesus… He is right here in the room with me in person. I can see him with my eyes and hear his voice speaking to me and touch him with my hands."

Jesus’ disciples were privileged to have Jesus with them in person for three years. Then the time came for Jesus to die, to rise again and to ascend into heaven. The night before he died he told his disciples to not be troubled because he would not leave them alone. He promised to leave his words with them, promised them the Holy Spirit, promised them a peace that this world cannot give and promised them he was going to the Father where he would continue to take care of them from a position of power and glory. The special closeness that you had with your mother when you were a little child does not even begin to compare to the closeness and comfort that you have in the risen and ascended Lord Jesus who says to you and me this morning, "Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled!"

What joy we have in knowing that Jesus did not leave us alone. He left us with his words. "Jesus said, ‘If any loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." A better translation for the word "obey" would be "keep." Jesus words are like a letter that you receive from someone you love. Have you ever been away from someone you love and then received a letter? You read the letter over and over again, thinking about what was happening at home. When we love Jesus we love his teaching, we treasure his words because they bring us close to the love that he has for us. In fact Jesus says that "My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." He tells us that the words he gives us do not just come from him but they also belong to the Father and they assure us we are at home with our heavenly Father.

The other day I visited with June Sullivan at Villa Maria Care Center. She was not in her room, but I knew where to find her. She was outside in the courtyard where she loves to sit and feeds pieces of left over bread to the birds. The sun was shining, the flowers were blooming, and the birds were singing. It was Jesus who gave us words, precious words, that remind us how God takes care of the birds of the air and we are more important to him than the birds. "Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life, what you will eat and what you will drink; or about your body what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; for they do not sow or reap or store away barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

The people who do not love Jesus really don’t care much about his words. They do not like to read the Bible. They would rather read the newspaper or watch television, or do anything except read what Jesus tells us in his Word. How sad this is! The Bible is such a beautiful book because it takes us into the very mind of God. God comes and makes his home with us. John 1 tells us, "No one has even seen God, but God the One and Only who is at the Father’s side has made him known."

Picture a young man fighting for our country away from the girl he loves. He receives a letter and relishes every word, especially the parts that read, "I love you so much" and "I miss you." The words that Jesus gives to us can take our troubled hearts and just fill them with joy in the love that he and our heavenly Father have for us. Some of the best moments of your life will happen when you are alone with God in his Word, listening to him speak to you here on the pages of the Bible.

Jesus has not left you alone! He has also given the Holy Spirit to teach you all things and bring every thing to your memory. "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit is our Counselor. Literally the Greek word means someone who walks alongside of you and talks to you. Some of the happiest moments in my marriage have been walking at night with my wife, talking as we walk along together. We are there for each other to encourage each other and help each other. Even more important to me, and every Christian is the blessing of the Holy Spirit who walks alongside of us, teaches us everything and brings things into our memory.

When you read the Bible, hear a sermon, or attend a Bible study, the Holy Spirit is there to teach you truths about the true God and about yourself. The Holy Spirit serves to convict us of our sin. He points out our faults and failings, shows us where we have done wrong and makes it clear we cannot save ourselves. Then the Spirit lifts our eyes to Jesus and helps us see him suffering and dying on the cross. It is the Holy Spirit who helps us remember that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. When we are troubled by our own weakness and sinful thoughts and actions, the Holy Spirit comforts us by reminding us of the little word "all." We live in that word "all" and die with hope in that one little word. Romans 8 tells us the Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that we are the sons of God. How many times this past week did the Holy Spirit silently and softly and soothingly remind you that things are OK because you are dear child of your heavenly Father through Jesus?

What if you could get into the mind of God and discover how much he cares about you and loves you? You can actually do this because of the Holy Spirit who comforts you. 1 Corinthians 2 tells us, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him, but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit." The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see and our hearts to believe in what has been revealed to us about God on the pages of the Bible.

On this Mother’s Day, I remind you dear Christian mothers and also Christian fathers what a privilege it is to be used by the Lord to teach your children God’s Word so the Holy Spirit can work in their lives. It is the greatest honor and privilege of parenting. It has been said that an ounce of mother is worth more than a pound of clergy. It has also been said that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Even in your later years of life the Lord allows you to be used to bring God’s Word to your family and the Holy Spirit works through the Word. What a blessing it is to have the Holy Spirit with us in this special way. We are not alone.

The loving Savior left his Word with you. He promised you his Holy Spirit. He also promises you a peace this world cannot give. "Peace I leave with you;

my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." The peace Jesus offers is a peace this world cannot offer. This past week an article appeared in a local paper making the claim that people with higher incomes have more joy in life than people with a lower income. Then it went on to say that people with a higher income were more isolated socially. We can find a certain amount of peace in having a good, prosperous life such as we enjoy here in our country. We can find peace in developing friendships with people. All of this peace is different from the peace that Jesus gives us. The peace Jesus gives is a peace of knowing God loves you in this life and for all eternity, not on the basis of any goodness in you, or any efforts to improve yourself. This peace is found in the perfect life Jesus lived for you and the perfect ransom payment he made for your sin.

There was once a man named Horatio Spafford who seemed to have everything going for him. In addition to his faith in Christ, he had a beautiful wife and children, as well as a thriving business in Chicago during the 1800's. Then he lost almost everything he owned investing in land along the shores of Lake Michigan. Rather than cancel a planned trip to England he sent his wife and four daughters on the trip with a promise to come a few days later. The transatlantic steamer was struck off the coast of England by another ship. His wife was saved, but his children drowned. His wife sent an urgent telegram, "Saved alone." He took the first steamer to England to be at his wife's side. As the ship crossed very close to where the shipwreck occurred, Horatio Spafford stood on the deck, in cold winter air of the Atlantic Ocean, thinking of his children, and looking up at the starry sky. That night he went back to a cabin and composed these famous lines, "When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll- Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul."

Jesus did not leave you alone when he left this earth and returned to his heavenly Father. He also left his power with us. Jesus told his disciples, "If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." While on this earth, Jesus set aside his power as God. The disciples saw him weak, tired, hungry, and praying for strength from his heavenly Father. That all changed when Jesus went home to his Father. Now he sits on the right hand of his Father, taking on the glory he had with his Father before the world began. That means he is in a position to oversee and even micromanage the affairs of your life, taking problems and even turning them into blessings. Amen.