SATURDAY EDITORIAL

Fueled by the Spirit

Acts 2:1-4

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

What an incredible experience that must have been -- to actually see tongues of flame resting on each of them as they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Many of us feel that access to that kind of power is no longer available. In fact we can sometimes feel our faith becoming dry and lifeless, as if the energy we once had for service has left us. Yet the Holy Spirit is available to you today as He has always been, waiting for you to ask for His presence and power. This example has been given to us throughout the Bible -- in both the Old and New Testaments.

One story that comes to mind, involves the Old Testament prophet, Ezekiel (37:1-14) who was given a vision in which the Lord instructed him to prophesy to a valley full of bones.

"So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them."

The bones came together, but there was no life -- they rattled together. The same is true for us when we try to work for the Lord in our own power without the Holy Spirit's power or enabling -- there's no life in us either. Verse 9 continues,

"Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' "So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet a vast army."

The Bible often uses the words "wind" or "breath" to indicate the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is this breath of God, His Holy Spirit that comes upon us and into us -- powers and empowers us for service. The key to our receiving this power is obedience. In verse 10, Ezekiel says, "So I prophesied as he commanded me." In other words, he obeyed. In Acts 1:12, the Apostles returned to Jerusalem and waited in the upper room as Jesus had commanded (Acts 1:4). They were obedient as well.

If you are feeling spiritually dry, or maybe you're just going through the motions of Christian life without any significant purpose or direction, then it's time to ask God through His Spirit to reveal to you in what area of your life you need to obey. Ask God's Holy Spirit to fill you as you are obedient and empowered to humbly serve Him.

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