The Wind of God’s Spirit

Scripture: Read Acts 2:2 (NIV); Genesis 2:7 (NIV); John 20:21 (NIV); John 10:10 (NIV)

ACTS 2:2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

GEN 2:7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

JOHN 20:21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit."

JOHN 10:10 I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

Devotion

In the Bible, significant movements of God are often accompanied by very loud sounds. For example, when God descended on Mt Sinai to give the Law to Moses, there was “thunder” and “a very loud trumpet blast” (Ex. 19:16). I guess that thunder and trumpet blasts were the loudest sounds in those days, so Moses is saying that God’s presence was ear-splitting. Similarly, when Jesus returns for believers, it’s going to be noisy. 1 Thess. 4:16 (NIV) says, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God.” God will roar at His return. So, it is not a surprise that the coming of the Spirit on all believers for the first time was a noisy affair.

But this time, the noise is not described as a trumpet blast or thunderclap, but as the sound of a cyclonic wind. In 1974, the town of Darwin in northern Australia was hit by Tropical Cyclone Tracy. The wind gusts measured 217 km/hr before the instruments failed, and more than 70% of Darwin’s buildings were destroyed. As survivors reflected on the events of that night, they particularly highlighted the frightening sound of the violent winds as they tore through the houses where they were sheltering. This was the type of sound described in this Scripture.

However, at Pentecost, the wind of the Spirit was not terrifying but invigorating. God was breathing on His people. In both the Hebrew and Greek languages, the word translated wind is also the word for breath and the word for spirit. The sound of the rushing wind was the roar of God’s breath as He breathed the Holy Spirit into the believers.

This is not the first time that the Bible talks about God breathing into people. In Gen. 2:7 (NIV) it says, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” As God breathed on Adam’s body, he became physically and spiritually alive. God’s breath brings His life. Here, a similar thing is happening.

Many of these disciples had been following Jesus for years. They probably knew His teaching off by heart. (I’m sure He often repeated Himself.) They had seen God’s powerful work through Jesus’ ministry, and some had even participated in supernatural miracles themselves. They had loved and served Jesus in the flesh. What a special privilege! You would think that you couldn’t ask for more. Yet here they were huddled in a room together with no idea how they would move forward without Jesus. They felt inadequate. They knew a lot, they had seen a lot, but they lacked the reality of the life that was theirs through Jesus. Jesus has promised them “life to the full” (John 10:10), but it was still theory for them.

Then God breathed, they were saturated in the Spirit, and their new life in Jesus became reality. And did it make a difference! They were immersed in security because the Spirit stamped them as belonging to God. They were filled with joy because God’s presence was in them. They were filled with peace because the Lord of the universe was looking after them from within. They were filled with confidence because God was working through them. This new Holy Spirit-filled life was incredible. No wonder they wanted to tell others about it. They couldn’t contain themselves.

If you are a Christian, then God has already breathed His Spirit into you. God is living in you, and all the incredible life that comes through that is already available to you. You don’t have to earn it by the quality of your spiritual life or the effectiveness of your service. God’s grace package includes forgiveness, freedom, and God living in you. So, part of the Spirit’s ministry is to enliven us to everything that we have in Jesus. Life to the full.

The Holy Spirit will give you a deep sense of peace, even when your circumstances are tough. He will enable joy to well up from within you at all times. He will strengthen you when you feel weak. He will remind you of the care of your Father when you feel alone. He will encourage you and support you. He will make God’s truth come alive for you. He will awaken your deep desire to live close to God. He will comfort you when you are disappointed or discouraged. He will grow your passion for Jesus. He will produce godly character in you.

As a believer, this life is yours. God’s Spirit wants to breathe the reality of His life into you. It’s just a matter of allowing Him to do His work. It would be good to ask Him now to breathe on you.

“Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.”

Written by John Sweetman