"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
What More Could He Give Us?
New York City used to have a store called F.A.O. Schwartz. For a child, it was magnificent. It was filled with the coolest, fanciest, hottest toys anywhere in the world. One of the most eye-catching toys was a working miniature Ferrari go kart. It had a bright red shine. It had a small, but powerful gasoline engine. It had a whopping big price tag: $50,000. Most kids who visited the store knew it—a gift like that is not happening! Too extravagant.
But we are children of the King. And he gives extravagant gifts to his children.
We were born in sin. We were slaves of the devil. We were doomed to die eternally. We deserved no help, no gift, no blessing from the Almighty God we have so severely offended.
But God loved us. And he has lavished the most extravagant gifts on us.
God has given us his Son, Jesus Christ, as the Savior we needed from sin and death. God has given us the forgiveness of sins bought and paid for by his Son in his life and by his death on the cross. God has given us the gift of eternal life, assured to us by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
And on top of that, God has also given us his Spirit. He has not just given us a small sample of his Spirit. God has poured out his Spirit on us richly and generously. What a gift! The Holy Spirit works in our hearts to convince us that God loves us. The Holy Spirit takes the forgiveness Christ bought on the cross and makes it ours by faith. The Holy Spirit strengthens us, encourages us, enriches us, and equips us for life's daily trials and tasks. The Holy Spirit fills us with the confident hope that we will enjoy life in heaven through Christ.
A Ferrari go kart is way too extravagant a gift for most parents to give their children. But our gracious heavenly Father has lavished on us this extravagant gift: his own Spirit, poured out on us. What more could he give us?
Prayer:
Dear Father, I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown me. In your mercy, continue to pour out your Spirit on me, that I may believe in Christ and serve him daily. Amen.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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