Be enlightened by the Spirit
Almighty God,
who taught the hearts of your faithful people,
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit;
grant that we, by the same Spirit,
would have a right judgement in all things,
and always rejoice in his holy strength,
through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen.
The extraordinary events of Mount Carmel proved beyond doubt that “the LORD, he is God” (1 Kings 18.39). What joy Elijah must have felt as the fire of the Lord fell — as he was vindicated, as the prophets of Baal were defeated, and as the power of the true God was shown to all! Nine hundred years later, God again sent fire. With his Son having risen and ascended, victorious and glorious, the Father sent the promised Spirit upon his chosen apostles: “tongues of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them” (Acts 2.3). The apostles were equipped to serve as the fire of the Lord fell once more on the Day of Pentecost.
Today, like Elijah, we find ourselves seeking to serve the true God in a culture that has turned away to worship a false god of sexual permissiveness. In our own generation, like those first apostles, we find ourselves seeking to witness to the truth of God in a culture that has rejected the relevance of scriptural truth. So where do we turn for hope and joy? Let us consider our collect for today, the collect for Whit Sunday (that is, the Day of Pentecost).
First, let us be thankful — for our God sends his light into our hearts. His faithful people are not left in blind darkness to figure out the truth for themselves. Wonderfully, he sends his Holy Spirit that we might be taught the truth of his holy word, and he teaches not just the minds but also the hearts of his faithful people. How much do we need this in our own day, and how thankful we can be that this is how our God works.
Secondly, let us be hopeful — for our God grants wisdom to those who need it. When we don’t know what to do, or which way to turn, by the same Spirit we are enabled to make a right judgment in all things. What hope there is in such a God!
Thirdly, let us be joyful — for our God has a mighty strength that cannot be overcome. Are we weak and heavy-laden? Of course we are! We may be experiencing the reality of powers and principalities being arrayed against us, but his strength is both holy and sufficient: “the LORD, he is God”, and the vindication of Elijah will one day be ours too.
And all this, of course, not through our own merits, but through the merits of our Saviour. What a God! Let us serve him now in our own generation.
So pray this with me:
Almighty God,
who taught the hearts of your faithful people,
by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit;
grant that we, by the same Spirit,
would have a right judgement in all things,
and always rejoice in his holy strength,
through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen.