NT24 Fastنموونە

Day 8 by Chase Durkin, Young Adults Pastor of UPPERROOM Dallas

Today’s Reading: Acts 1-14

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13)

When I take into account the book of Acts and these passages, there is one phrase that burns within my heart.

"The Holy Spirit is my Helper."

We see this truth manifest in the early church in such profound and miraculous ways, yet the foundation of these manifestations was simple; they were birthed out of dependency and longing. The Holy Spirit longs for us to see that the same way He came to their help then, He wants to come now.

I believe our longing for His help is awakened when we see afresh His heart - that He wants to help us. We see the kindness of God's leadership in the book of Acts. That same kindness and leadership is present for us today. If He gave His Spirit to birth His Church and His will into the Earth, we can rest in the fact that His Spirit has been given to sustain it and hold us even now until the very end.

As I see Peter and John in Acts 4 and their journey from the Gospels, it raises the question, "How did these men live in such a way Jesus could be seen through them even after He ascended?" Again, I believe it's simple.

They never grew beyond their need for Him.

I have learned through success and failure that I cannot ever receive help if I am not first willing to acknowledge the truth that I need it.

I see this in my life every day. I need help often, and as I learn and grow, I see it is not in just a few arenas of my life but every single one as a husband, a father, a friend, and a pastor. I identify with these men in a real way, often feeling uneducated, untrained, and not qualified, but I see a truth leaping from the Word as I read. We do not need all the "things" we think we need for Jesus to be revealed through our lives; all we need is the person of the Holy Spirit. He is the only one who can take what we see daily as ordinary and mundane, yet He always knows to reveal Jesus through it all. This life by the Spirit was not just for then and these men, but it is for us now. He longs to help you. That is how this journey starts - "Holy Spirit, help me."

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I ask for Your help. I repent if in any way I have resisted Your leadership. I acknowledge that I do not just need Your help, but I also want Your help in every area of my life. I ask today that You awaken fresh longing and dependency for Your Spirit in my heart. I ask You to rest on what is ordinary and mundane and reveal Jesus to me and through me. Holy Spirit, I want you to rest within me, and I want to walk with You daily. I love you, Holy Spirit, for being my greatest friend and help. Amen.