“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.”  Acts 2:1-3,4a NIV

Jesus died on the cross for each one of us. And wonderfully, He arose from the dead so that each one who believes in Him may be saved and one day live with Him in heaven. (Remember our Easter story, Jesus Is Alive!?) After Jesus rose from the dead, He ate and spoke with His disciples. One of the things He told them was to wait in Jerusalem for the “gift my Father promised”. Jesus told them that “in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit”. 

Jerusalem was crowded with people who have come to celebrate Pentecost. It is 50 days after the Passover celebration. Pentecost (which means fiftieth in Greek) is a celebration of the wheat harvest and it was also a time to remember the law – the ten commandments – given to the people by God.

In the verse above the disciples are gathered together in a room with other believers. They would all pray together and talk about being witnesses for Jesus, the Son of God. They wanted to share the good news of Jesus with others. And this is when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The fire part sounds a bit scary doesn’t it? But the Holy Spirit is the amazing gift of God’s presence with us and within us.

When God led His people out of Egypt, He was with them as a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. Remember that God also spoke to Moses from a burning bush that had flames but did not burn up. And when the tabernacle was in place God’s presence hovered above the tabernacle as a cloud of fire at night. God’s presence with His people was in the form of fire, so it’s not surprising that the Holy Spirit first appeared as fire. The disciples and other believers would know this.

God has promised us that He will go before us, that He will never leave us or forsake us. With the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, He keeps this promise to each one who believes. God’s Holy Spirit now lives with us, and within us. The Holy Spirit is God with you! You are never alone.

This week, write a note or draw a picture to thank God for His amazing gift of His Holy Spirit in us. Share it with your parents or your family. Ask them to share their stories of the Holy Spirit and how He helps us all.

Blessings and peace with God’s Holy Spirit!