A Second Wind: A Biblical Exploration of God’s Mind of JusticeSample

A Second Wind

Fighting injustice is tiring. We see a lot of people marching these days. How long will it last? When will it shift legislation? When will the wait be over? The long wait to realize change can feel like an eternal pause. What we know is that God fights for the oppressed. He equips His people with truth and energy to be His witnesses in the world.

In Genesis, God breathed into man the breath of life. That breath was a gift of animation. It was the first wind that makes us human. Breathing is a mark of human strength. Then we see God give another gift of breath or wind. In John 20, Jesus meets his fearful and weary disciples at the point of their resignation. They are despondent over the death of their Messiah. Undoubtedly, they are perplexed by the consequences of Jesus’ death. They are practically hiding. In John 20 is a room of people who will turn the world upside down, but they look like a defeated army.

What changes between the death of Jesus and the start of The Church is the gift of a second wind, a new breath from God. That new wind is the person called The Holy Spirit. God knew that you would need a second wind. He used wind in Genesis give life. Now, He sends His wind in Acts 2 to grant supernatural empowerment. 

If you have the first wind without receiving the second wind, the air of oppression will be too thin to survive. You need this second wind. Jesus tells His disciples that the coming of The Holy Spirit will enable them to be His effective witnesses in the world. Our larger problem with injustice stems, in part, from the absence of the people of God bringing the mind of God to the public square and legislative halls of society. You may be a school-teacher, and that is the exact space God wants you to convey His mind on justice. You may be a producer or writer, and there God expects You to be His witness in the world. Wherever you are, God will give you the empowerment of His Spirit to know His truth and the boldness to share it there. And in so doing, He causes us to breathe again.

Application Prayer

Dear Father in Heaven, fill me with Your Spirit so that I can be Your witness on earth. I join those who are committed to Your truth and Your way. Lead me and guide me as an agent of justice on the grounds of righteousness.