VERSE:

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.

— Joel 2:28-29

THOUGHT:

This Old Testament prophesy was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost at the commencement of the church (Acts 2:15-18). In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would descend on certain people at certain times to perform certain tasks, and then ascend when that task was completed. When the Holy Spirit came upon a person in the Old Testament it was a significant “seal of approval” of a specific title or ministry, typically available only to kings, prophets and judges.

The prophet Joel, however, envisioned a day where the Spirit would be available to all believers. This would have been a very unusual statement to Joel’s hearers. This would have been a paradigm shift countering everything the people understood about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would no longer descend momentarily on specific “front-line ministers”; the Spirit would be poured out on all people. Gifts of prophesy, dreams, visions… they would be available to sons, daughters, old men, young men, servants, both men and women. The blessing of the Spirit’s presence would be opened up and available to all.

When I see what the bible says is possible because of the Spirit’s presence on a person, I realize that this is a wonderful truth that we often times take for granted. We don’t operate in half of what we have available to us. We have the Spirit of the living God inside of us, yet we think and operate in the natural because we don’t realize the power we have on hand.

APPLICATION:

Reflect on the importance of the Holy Spirit being poured out on you. Meditate on what you have available through the Spirit who lives in you. Ask God for an awakened acknowledgement of His presence in your life, and ask Him to reveal what He would want you to do in light of it.

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, I ask you for an awakened acknowledgement of your presence in my life. Help me understand the importance of your Spirit being poured out on me. Give me clarity as to what you would have me do with the power that is available to me through Christ. In Jesus’ Name I pray, AMEN!