Thoughts for the Day

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Let's look at this story that we know so well from the Acts of the Apostles. Jesus had told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit, but they had no idea how long to wait! In fact they waited for ten days, and then at Pentecost, when the Jews presented the firstfruits of the wheat harvest to God, the disciples received the Holy Spirit. Notice the descriptions use words such as "a sound like the rush of a violent wind", and "tongues, as of fire". In other words there was a tremendous noise, like that of a cyclone that can destroy everything before it. But it wasn't a cyclone! Flames landed on each of the disciples' heads, but they were not flames, and they did not burn the disciples!
Instead of destroying, the Holy Spirit gave power to each disciple. Bystanders made fun of these Galileans with their country accents at first, but discovered that the northerners could speak of God in the languages of all the hundreds present for the festival.

The power of the Holy Spirit is given to those who wait on God! The power of the Holy Spirit is given to those who put self to one side and think of what God wants! The power of the Holy Spirit comes fully when perhaps we least expect it! The Spirit comes when He wills!

Lord God,
may we learn to wait on You,
rather than making unsuitable requests.
May the words "As You will"
be far more on our lips than at present.
May we wait for the response
of Your Spirit in prayerful stillness
and learn to listen to Your prompting,
knowing that You will answer prayers
as is best for us.
Amen.