Pentecost

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. —Acts 2:1-4

This month marks the beginning of Pentecost, or the end of the 40-day period between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. Some Christian denominations are more familiar with this holiday than others are, but it remains an important one on the Christian calendar because it signals the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables believers to be blessed with specific spiritual gifts, all as individual as the believer. He does much more than that, though. Christians can rejoice on Pentecost and every day because the presence of the Holy Spirit means God actively lives inside and guides them. This was not always the case for those who believed in Yahweh, as God is called in the Old Testament. Back then, some believers, such as David and Daniel, were said to have the Holy Spirit, but His presence was much rarer. The only people who are referenced this way are those who God chose for a specific mission or, in the case of David, saw as “a [person] after His own heart.” Jesus wanted to be accessible to all of us, to restore the perfect relationship sin destroyed. This is why He returned to Heaven rather than staying on Earth indefinitely. In His wisdom, He knew we would need Him with us every minute of every day to live the life He called us to live. Furthermore, Jesus allows the Holy Spirit to speak to each Christian in unique ways. The Spirit might lead one person to become a full-time missionary, for example, and another to be His witness to neighbors and local people. Thank God for the never-ending presence of the Holy Spirit for you and for everyone today. Ask Him to lead you through His Spirit and give you the grace to obey.