“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. (Joel 2:28-29)
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
Thought
Last week, while at my parents’ house, I decided to give the bird feeder a thorough clean. Firstly I tipped out the remaining contents of the feeder that the sparrows had left and then gave the container a good clean with the aid of a stick and a bottle brush. Before fresh seed could be put placed in the container I needed to ensure that it was completely dry, so I placed it on top of the radiator. To aid the drying process mum gave me her hairdryer so that I could blow hot air into the tube to ensure it was perfectly dry.
What I had not anticipated was that, as I was drying off the feeder, the hot air from the hairdryer went down the radiator itself and started to blow the accumulated dust and fluff that builds up in-between double radiators out of the bottom of the radiator onto the floor of the kitchen. Once I had realised how successful the hairdryer was in removing the hard to get at dust, I purposely used it to remove as much as I could. This method was so successful that I have now used it at home as well.
It made me think about the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives and I thought about the disciples on the first Pentecost as the Holy Spirit descended on them afresh. I wondered if for them it might have been like the hairdryer blowing down on them. All of their fears were blown away, just as the dust and fluff was blown out of the radiator, and they were filled with the spirit of God, so much so that it seemed to flow out of them and they were changed people. No longer in hiding, they went outside and Peter preached to those who were there. He went on to quote from the book of Joel to try and explain to those listening what was happening.
Sometimes we may feel a bit like the radiator that we have dirt in our lives that is hard to remove. As Christians we know that we can ask God to fill us with his Holy Spirit and to remove all the dust and old fluff that it there. Just like the first disciples, he is ready to fill us to overflowing. And if the dust and fluff builds up again in the radiators I know that I can use the hairdryer to remove it but much more importantly we know if it builds up in our lives that we can invite God to fill our lives afresh, to clean us out and fill us with the Holy Spirit.
Prayer
Father God, we come before you, just as we are. We ask you to fill us afresh with your Holy Spirit.
Amen
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