Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

Acts 2:11-13
“We all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other. But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”
Despite only giving us a very brief summary of what actually happened on the day of Pentecost, Luke doesn’t miss out the fact that many struggled to work out what on earth was going on. For us, it is absolutely clear what a significant day it was, but for many people at the time it was thoroughly perplexing. Some asked genuine questions, and Peter was about to give them a very full explanation. But others concluded that the bizarre events could only be explained by alcohol.
When God works in your life in a big way there will always be a variety of responses. Perhaps you have felt led to be confirmed or baptised, or to change your job in obedience to the Lord, or to work for Him in another country. Some people will have questions and we should always be delighted by this. I remember the time when an uncle of mine became a minister. He had a well-paid job in the oil industry and lived in a beautiful home in the suburbs. As a minister, he lived in much smaller house in a far less attractive area and saw his income reduced enormously. There were inevitably many questions! Such moments give us, like Peter, a superb opportunity for explaining to people what our faith means to us.
Be warned, that there will always be people who will laugh off our experiences. It must have been very hurtful for the apostles to hear that some people thought that they were intoxicated. We should never be surprised by such responses, but should be patient and gracious as we explain what’s going on. It is hardest of all when such reactions are from people in our own families. We will need special grace to keep our cool and to respond wisely and graciously.
Question
How do you respond when people laugh at your Christian commitment?
Prayer
Lord God, help me to respond with Your wisdom and grace to those who are perplexed by my faith. Amen

Acts 2:5-7
At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed.
The arrival of the Holy Spirit caused a stir in Jerusalem. The city was packed with Jewish pilgrims from a huge area and they were eager to find out what was going on. What amazed them was that they were hearing God’s name being praised in their own languages. Luke provides us with a fascinating list of where the pilgrims had come from. To use the countries’ modern names they had come from, among other places, Rome, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and other parts of North Africa (vv9-11). What a perfect moment for the Holy Spirit to be given. By the end of the day thousands of people had heard the good news of Jesus in their own language for the first time. They were able to take the message back home and start building Christian communities.
This was truly a ‘Kairos’ moment. The Greek word [itals]Kairos[end itals] is very special. It is one of two words which translates the English word time. The other Greek word is [itals]Chronos[end itals], which we know well from words like chronology. It’s the time that we measure with our clocks and calendars. [itals]Kairos[end itals] is better translated by the word ‘opportunity’. The day of Pentecost was an amazing moment of supernatural opportunity. Viewed in one way, it was just one more day in the calendar but, from God’s point of view, it was a turning point. Nothing would be the same after that day.
Writing to the Ephesians the apostle Paul comments: “be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days” (Ephesians 5:15-16). As we thank God for the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, He calls us to grasp hold of today and to use every opportunity for serving Him.
Question
What are the special opportunities that God is giving to you at the moment?
Prayer
Dear Lord, help me to grasp every opportunity You give me for serving You. Amen

Acts 2:1-4
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
Pentecost Sunday marks the birthday of the Church. Jesus had asked His followers to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit – and suddenly He arrived. Pentecost was a Jewish harvest festival and was held 50 days after Passover. It was one of three annual pilgrimage festivals so Jerusalem would have been heaving with pilgrims from all over the region.
The group of Jesus’ followers was probably gathered in the upper room where they had been in the habit of meeting. One can imagine them meeting quietly and prayerfully as they had done since the time of Jesus’ ascension. Then everything changed as they were overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit. A completely new era had begun and it was marked by wind and fire. The violent wind filled the whole house, symbolising the breath of life that the Holy Spirit brings. The tongues of fire, which rested on each of them, spoke of the cleansing and refining work of the Spirit. No one could miss the fact that something dramatic was taking place.
As the Holy Spirit came upon them, they spoke in other languages as they worshipped. What an incredible moment. Our experience of the Holy Spirit might be very different, but we should be encouraged that He is the same Spirit who wants to blow His breath of life into us today, as well as refine us with His fire. One thing that the Holy Spirit never does is to leave things the way they are. He is constantly challenging, renewing and purifying us as we worship God together.
Question
In what ways have you experienced the wind and fire of the Holy Spirit?
Prayer
God our Father, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit. Help me to welcome Him today, so that I may become more like Jesus. Amen

Acts 1:24-26
Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven.
After the ascension of Jesus, the eleven disciples needed to find a successor to Judas Iscariot. They identified two candidates whom they considered to be suitable, Barsabbas and Matthias. We don’t know anything about them, but clearly they had spent time with Jesus and were part of the wider circle of His followers. It seems strange that, having committed the decision to God in prayer, they then cast lots. This certainly isn’t a method that I have ever employed, but it was their way of leaving the decision up to God. They played their part in choosing two people who they believed to be appropriately qualified, but then they let God decide.
We don’t hear of anyone else casting lots in this way elsewhere in the New Testament and many people assume that the practice belonged firmly to the period before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Once the Spirit had been given, the Church could look to Him to guide all decision-making. That isn’t to say that decision-making is now easy! But we can confidently lean upon the Holy Spirit and seek His guidance in every detail of our lives, without resorting to apparently random measures like casting lots.
The rest of Acts gives us an amazing account of how the Holy Spirit guides people. Step by step He led this small, weak and confused group of ordinary people into becoming a large missionary movement, which turned the world upside down.
Question
In what way are you seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit today?
Prayer
Loving God, thank You that You have given me Your Holy Spirit to enable me to make good decisions today. Amen

Acts 1:12 -14
Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile. When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying…They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.
The days between Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost were filled with prayer. All the disciples knew was that they had to wait and didn’t want to do this alone. We read that they met together in an upper room, which may well have been the same place they had gathered for the last supper. What matters is that they were together and it is interesting to note that the eleven disciples were joined by Jesus’ mother and brothers. We know little about Jesus’ brothers, but John records that, prior to His death, they did not believe in Him (John 7:5).
What an amazing time of prayer it must have been! Jesus had told them that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on them, but hadn’t said when this would happen. They simply had to wait in expectation, with the confidence of knowing that God had a perfect plan. In one sense prayer is always like this. Although we live in the privileged days of the Spirit, whenever we pray there is much that we do not know. We only partly know God’s plans for our lives, our church and our world. As we pray, we open ourselves afresh to the breath of God’s Spirit and invite Him to meet with us.
Prayer is the privilege of every Christian and we will often pray by ourselves. But there is something very important about praying with our Christian brothers and sisters. Jesus said, “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). As we pray together the risen Lord Jesus Christ stands with us, strengthening and inspiring us. What could be more exciting than that?
Question
Why is waiting so important in our Christian lives?
Prayer
Gracious Lord, teach me more about the importance of expectant prayer, and help me to treasure the opportunities You give me to pray with my Christian brothers and sisters. Amen