ANTICIPATORY JOY

“And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But remain in the city until

you have been clothed with power from on high.” When Jesus had led them out as far as

Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them

and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with

great joy,^G5479 praising God continually in the temple.

Luke 24:49-53

It would have to have been a miraculous occurrence that the disciples could rejoice even though their Rabbi, their Savior, was leaving them. Before Jesus was caught up in the clouds, He had given them confidence that the promised Comforter, the Holy Spirit, would come to them in Jerusalem. They were instructed to wait in the city for this promise to be fulfilled. The presence of the Holy Spirit would strengthen and maintain the intimacy that each one of the disciples, including the women who had followed Him, had enjoyed with Jesus in their everyday, present, tangible experiences with Him. When the Spirit came upon them, it was in the form of a rushing, mighty wind and tongues of flame! They were immediately enabled to testify about Jesus boldly in languages they had never studied!

Acts 2:1-6 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. And when this sound rang out, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking his own language.

Even though we no longer perceive God in the person of Jesus with our five senses, His presence is still strong in the lives of believers via the work of the Holy Spirit. The way we now maintain an intimate relationship with our Lord is by Bible study, illuminated by the Spirit within us, and by prayer. How much time do you devote to developing this most important of all relationships? Are you reading the word with anticipatory joy, looking forward in eager expectation to how the Holy Spirit will move in your life?

Father, we can have joy now while we look forward to what You will do in and through us in the future. Let us wait joyfully, praising You continually, like the disciples waited in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit.