Promise of Pentecost
VERSE: "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." -- Joel 2:28
VERSE: "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." -- Joel 2:28
THOUGHT: Throughout the Old Testament, God's Spirit would come upon special leaders or agents of God's will to do his work. Most of the time, the Spirit's presence would be temporary, to help with a pressing issue, need, problem, or battle.
In a few cases, like David, God's Spirit never departed from God's servant. But the presence of the Spirit living permanently inside all of God's people was the promise of the coming of the Messiah and the formation of God's new people. This promise from Joel 2 is the centerpiece Scripture quoted by Peter in his sermon during Pentecost. This day, promised by Joel's prophecy, comes with the dawn of the church and signaled by the coming of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit first comes to those who proclaim the story of Jesus, but then to all who hear the message, believe, and respond by being baptized, on this day and all the days of conversion to follow (Acts 2:38-39). We live in the age of the Spirit!
PRAYER: Thank you! Thank you O God, for allowing me to live in the time of your church. Forgive me when I discount your power released in and through her through the Holy Spirit. Forgive me for not responding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to be conformed to the character and compassion of Jesus. Forgive me for the times I've grieved the Spirit by saying unkind things about others in whom the Spirit lives. I ask, dear Father, in the name of Jesus, that your Holy Spirit have more influence on my heart and in shaping my life. Amen.
Source: SpiritFire! from HEARTLIGHT http://www.heartlight.org/spiritfire The SpiritFire daily devotional email is written by Phil Ware and is part of Heartlight.org's online Christian resources. SpiritFire is a year long devotional walk focused on the blessing of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
