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.
I used to be the only person in my family who mowed the lawn. As a result, my lawn was not always the best looking in the neighborhood. There were times in the summer I had to be away for work. Whenever I returned home after one of those trips, the grass would be out of control. But now I have five children who are of “lawn mowing age.” Now that they are old enough and ready, I let them share in the yard work. With all of this help, the lawn usually looks pretty good, even when I have to be out of town.
In the times before Christ, God chose specific people do his work of sharing his Word. These people were called prophets. God gave his Word directly to them and they proclaimed the messages from God to his people. But this method of communication had its drawbacks. There weren’t very many true prophets of God and sometimes there were long periods of time when God did not send a prophet. Also, it was a challenge for the prophets to reach all of God’s people.
After Jesus came into the world to give his life as payment for sin and to rise from the dead, God worked to communicate the good news of his love in a far-reaching way. He poured out his Holy Spirit on people. The Holy Spirit worked through God’s message of salvation to bring many people to know God’s love and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.
Today God continues to pour out his Spirit. Every time a person believes in Jesus as his Savior, the Holy Spirit is at work. Every time a child hears a Sunday School lesson, the Holy Spirit is at work. As you read these words from the prophet Joel, the Holy Spirit is at work. The Holy Spirit works through God’s people every time they share the hope they have in Jesus.
After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, God poured out the Holy Spirit on all people so that they might come to know Jesus. He gives all believers the opportunity to share in this work by telling the message of God’s salvation to people everywhere. Give thanks to God for the many faithful people he uses to communicate his Word. Praise the Holy Spirit who works through that message of God to bring you and many others to faith in Jesus and keeps you close to him.
Prayer:
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