And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. At that time, there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. Acts 2:5-6
One of my favorite things about being in Scripture daily and from year to year is the joy of seeing something brand new, something I have never seen before. That very thing happened to me this morning as I was in the word. I love spending time in Scripture, and so I spend a lot of time reading, studying, and learning. The truth is I have a very long way to go in understanding Scripture and wish I had chosen to do some formal Bible training in school, but I didn’t.
But back to the subject at hand, this morning as I was reading in Acts 2, you know the Scripture about the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus’ disciples, I saw something new. Something I had never seen before!
The vital relationship which the Christian has to the Bible is not that he worships the letter, but that the Holy Spirit makes the words of the Bible spirit and life to him.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Remember, the flaming tongues that settled on each of the disciple’s heads and the bursting forth of languages they had never spoken? What a thrill it must have been to be one of those there who first received the comforter, the helper, the advocate Jesus had promised! And with the flaming tongues and unknown languages came a loud noise- described in the NLT as the roaring of a mighty windstorm. NO one could question that something spectacular had happened.
But here is what I saw this morning that I had never seen before; it was that loud noise that brought people running to see what had happened. The crowd was gathering because of the noise of the mighty windstorm; their curiosity got the best of them. Their interest was piqued! The noisy storm was the draw for the thousands that came running. The sound of the storm was for those in Jerusalem to be alerted to something new that was happening.
Light yourself on fire with passion, and people will come from miles around to watch you burn.
John Wesley
Here is what I am thinking today: we know God uses storms to get our attention. But he also uses the windstorms of our lives to draw others to himself as well. When they hear the loud noise and see the strong winds descending on us, they will come to see what it is all about. How we respond to the storms in our lives may be the catalyst for them to ask, maybe Jesus is the One I want to follow too?
None of us want windstorms in our lives, but the truth is God can use them. Will we be open to the possibility that the storms we encounter may be put there for others to be drawn to Jesus?
People are always more encouraged when we share how God’s grace helped us in weakness than when we brag about our strengths.
Rick Warren
Anne Farnum 