21 February 2020
Devotion
The coming of the Holy Spirit
The feast of Pentecost is a festival celebrating the harvest. It is named this because it occurs 50 days after Passover. In the Old Testament it is also referred to as the “feast of weeks” because the Israelites are instructed to count 7 weeks from the day after Passover. In a similar way, Christians understand Pentecost as being 50 days after the resurrection.
Pentecost is particularly important for Christians because it marks the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the New Testament church. Before He ascended, Jesus told His followers to wait because He was going to send the Holy Spirit to them. This is a very important moment in biblical history, prophesied about hundreds of years earlier. Just as Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit does come, on the day of Pentecost. Each one of Jesus’ followers is baptised in the Holy Spirit. In the Old Covenant, the Holy Spirit was active and would come upon people for certain works but now in the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit remains with us always as our comforter, counsellor and the One who empowers us to do all that God has called us to do. In this time of prayer and feasting, let us celebrate the fact that whatever may happen in life, we are never alone. Everywhere we go and in everything we do, the Holy Spirit is with us.
Prayer
I thank You, God, that You have given us Your Spirit. I thank You that whatever situation in life I may face, I am not alone. I thank You that You have given me the Holy Spirit, my comforter, counsellor and coach to be with me at all times.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Leviticus 23:15-16 (HCSB)
You are to count seven complete weeks starting from the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the presentation offering. You are to count 50 days until the day after the seventh Sabbath and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord.
Acts 2:1-4 (HCSB)
When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.
