I experienced wind this week—mighty rushing wind, and the waves it whipped into a frenzy. Frightening wind. Uncontrollable, unpredictable, unescapable. We could only keep the sail trimmed and angled to propel us forward and hang onto the tiller, compensating for the tossing about with corresponding shifts of the rudder. It is a fearful thing, a humbling thing, an awesome thing to experience wind. You bow to it; it does not do your bidding.

I couldn’t help thinking of the Day of Pentecost that was said to have come with the sound of a ‘mighty rushing wind’. Not the wind itself, but the sound ‘filled all the house where they were sitting’ (Acts 2:2) Was it terrifying? There they were, Jesus’ followers, all together for a single purpose. They were waiting as Jesus had commanded them, for the ‘promise of the Father’ (Acts 1:4) which would empower them to be His witnesses. This was the good gift of the Father to His children—Luke 11:13—sealing their inheritance as sons, a down payment of all that they were to become. (Eph.1:14) And they were sticking together in Jerusalem, waiting, as commanded…

Then came the fire-like flames on each of their heads, and the miraculous gift of speech in languages they had not learned, making them effective witnesses to Christ’s Resurrection! And in fulfillment of their calling they spoke forth “the wonderful works of God” (Acts 2:11) The hearers were filled with perplexed amazement. “What could this mean?” they asked. Then tuning in to Peter’s explanation they got the whole story. This was God’s gracious evidence to all in attendance that Jesus had indeed returned to the Father and sent His Spirit to be with them forever… Acts 2:32,33 The sound of wind accompanied the Gift, a reminder that though we do not know where it comes from or where it is going, Wind comes, with power, and does the work only God can do (Jn.3:8) bringing sinners to faith in their risen Saviour, giving dead folk life eternal…

And what is left for us to do? “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 2:38

It’s not a matter of our might or power, but of the Spirit blowing where He wishes…the mighty rushing Spirit of God, and our aligning our ‘sails’ with His purpose. When He is on the move, we bow, we do His bidding, not He ours, and one day we will find our little ‘bark’ has been transported safely Home… It is an awesome thing to be carried by Wind, a humbling thing, a fearful thing…but for the sailor this is the stuff of Life!

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.  So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” –Jesus

–LS

For my further thoughts along this line may I refer you to: Wind and Spirit from the archives… (Oct.8,2010)