The Pouring Out of God’s Spirit
Open Your Bible
Isaiah 32:14-18, Isaiah 44:3-4, Ezekiel 39:29, Joel 2:28-32, Acts 2:1-47
BY Scarlet Hiltibidal
If you’re like me, you’re a little prone to, um, an overabundance of feelings at all times. But though the feelings you have are strong, sometimes they aren’t the right ones. Maybe you want to feel empathetic, but you feel defensive. You want to feel loving, but you feel selfish. You long to hunger for the Word of God, but the day was long, and you “accidentally” opened a different app like, say, TikTok. Ahem.
Sometimes we want to feel the right things but pursue them the wrong way. Second Corinthians 3:17 reminds us, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” We want to want the Spirit, right? Of course. But how can we have the Spirit and feel the freedom He brings when life is so full of distractions and pains and questions that get us wanting other things we didn’t want to want in the first place? How can we be people who embody the Spirit who lives inside of us? In Acts 2, Peter quotes what was once spoken through the prophet Joel.
And it will be in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all people;
then your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
—Acts 2:17
Did you notice that it’s God who does the pouring out? It’s God who is the Spirit. God is, and God pours out. We, on the other hand, are to receive. But we’re not going to recognize what is available to us if we’re distracted, looking at Instagram or news updates more than we’re looking to God.
In Isaiah 32, we’re reminded of the glorious benefit of being filled with God’s Spirit: “The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever” (v.17). We have the Spirit of God. We can be filled with the Spirit of God. We can have and experience His peace. We can live with “quiet confidence forever.” The Spirit who came upon the apostles “like that of a violent rushing wind” is available to all of us who follow Christ (Acts 2:2). We don’t have to conjure it up. We don’t have to strive forever for the feeling of Christlikeness. The Holy Spirit is being poured out. Open the Word. Obey its instruction. Focus on filling more than feeling, and remember this: the work of Jesus Christ has already made you pure. Your sins are already forgiven. You are loved. You are full of God’s power, God’s peace, God’s presence, God’s life, God’s hope. Wow.
46 thoughts on "The Pouring Out of God’s Spirit"
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MICHELLE – Just listened to your song. Thank you for sharing God’s gift of your music with us❤️ Praying you can continue to do what you love and that it may bless others.
THERESA – “God give me peace!” ❤️
TAYLOR – Continued prayers for you. Praying also for your friend and her husband. May the Lord show the way and pour out His love on both of them.
FOSTER MAMA – Praise God! May He continue His work in your goddaughter. Also praying for your current baby. May God show you the plans for his life.
LAURA DIANNE – “Anticipate: actively waiting and trusting” ❤️
MIA FAITH – So glad you are with us. Praying that you may continue to feel His presence.
ERB – Praising God with you ❤️
GRAMSIESUE – Thank you for the update on Steve. Continued prayers for both of you.
CLAIRE B – ❤️
KRIS – Thank you for “Jesus lived in quietness. We need to learn something from His lifestyle.”
GWINETH52 – Praying for some good consistent nights of sleep ❤️
MERCY – Lifting you up in prayers. May God guide, be with you and give you His peace.
ADRIENNE – Continued prayers for Fred and Sharon.
SEARCHING – Joining you in prayers for the lost ❤️
RHONDA J – Praying for God’s peace in your home ❤️ -
The Scripture reading and devotional spoke deeply to me today. Filling over feeling. Yes, Lord, please fill me with You and remind me my feelings of fear do not come from you.
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Dear Father,
Thank You for pouring out Your Spirit onto us.
May our hearts and minds be focused on You, ready to receive.Thank You for revealing the paths of life to us.
May we open Your Word and obey Your instructions, trusting You know what is best for us.Thank You for filling us with gladness in Your presence.
May we find hope, peace, and joy in the assurance that “the work of Jesus Christ has already made us pure”.AMEN.
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Filling over feeling. The filling only comes from Him. I can stir up feeling myself, many times fickle and unfounded. But filling from Him? Never fickle or unfounded. Only good things come from Him!❤️
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Wow is right.
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Can I get an Amen!!!!! Thank you Scarlet for that mini sermon !!! I want the peace and quiet confidence only God can give!! Make me new Lord- help me to see the distractions in my life that pull me away AND have the strength to prune them from my daily life! Happy Wednesday She’s! Lifting up your individual prayers today!!!
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“The work of Jesus Christ has already made you pure. Your sins are already forgiven. You are loved. You are full of God’s power, God’s peace, God’s presence, God’s life, God’s hope.” Yes and Amen! “Filling more than feeling” – so much needed in our lives and world today.
Interestingly enough I was listening to Francis Chan again this morning (I put him on when I’m at the gym) he had his wife come up and read aloud the entire chapter of Acts 2 that’s two times this week this devotional and his sermons have been on the same scripture! Whatever it is, God wants me to hear it twice!!
@Mia Faith – it’s so good to see you are back. I can’t imagine what you are going through but know that we all here are lifting you in prayer. May God continue to strengthen you and peace, quietness and confidence.
@Martha Hix – praying for your travels today!
@Lynn from Alabama & @Linda in N.C. – praying for you both.
@Michelle Patire – beautiful song!
Happy Wednesday sisters! #fillingoverfeeling
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Love filling more than feeling! It brought the song Fresh Wind to my mind:
Spirit sound, rushing wind
Fire of God fall within
Holy Ghost
Breathe on us, we pray
As we repent, turn from sin
Revival embers smouldering
Breath of God
Fan us into flame
We need a fresh wind
The fragrance of Heaven
Pour Your Spirit out
Pour Your Spirit out
For hearts that burn with holy fear
Purified in faith and deed
Refiner’s fire
Strengthen what remains
So we the church who bear Your light
Lamp aflame, city bright
King and kingdom come is what we pray
Yeah, we need a fresh wind
The fragrance of Heaven
Pour Your Spirit out
Pour Your Spirit out
A holy anointing
The power of Your presence
Pour Your Spirit out
Pour Your Spirit out
Pour Your Spirit out (pour Your Spirit out)
Pour Your Spirit out (pour Your Spirit out)
Pour Your Spirit out (pour Your Spirit out)
Pour Your Spirit out
Pour Your Spirit out (pour Your Spirit out)
Pour Your Spirit out (pour Your Spirit out)
Pour Your Spirit out (pour Your Spirit out)
Pour Your Spirit out
Let all the redeemed
Prophesy and sing
We can hear the wind
Blowing, blowing, blowing
Move upon our praise
Sons and daughters sing
We can hear the wind
Blowing, blowing, blowing
Let all the redeemed (prophesy)
Prophesy and sing
We can hear the wind
Blowing, blowing (pour Your Spirit out), blowing
Move upon our praise
Sons and daughters sing
We can hear the wind
Blowing (blowing)
We need a fresh wind
The fragrance of Heaven
Pour Your Spirit out
Pour Your Spirit out
A holy anointing
The power of Your presence
Pour Your Spirit out
Pour Your Spirit out
Pour Your Spirit out-
❤️
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