“We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Devotion based on Acts 2:11-13

If you’ve ever walked through a busy international airport terminal, you’ve been bombarded with the discord of multiple foreign languages. The words you cannot understand sound like gibberish. And when you hear your native tongue, it is a welcome relief.

Foreigners crowded the streets and temple in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Harvest. Different languages and dialects filled the air. Suddenly, those foreigners could understand someone speaking to them in their language.

It was amazing to hear their own language. It was also perplexing because the ones speaking were from Israel, not from all over the ancient world. But what was truly refreshing was the message they heard. The disciples of Jesus were declaring the wonders of God. They shared the good news of God sending the Messiah, Jesus Christ, into the world. They spoke of the many proofs of Jesus’ divinity, culminating with his death and resurrection from the grave.

As is always the case, though, there were some who rejected this message. It was gibberish to them, and they excused this miraculous event as drunkenness.

There will always be some who reject the wonders of God. Without the Holy Spirit, those words will always be gibberish. But there will be others who hear the wonders of God and to them, there is no greater relief or comfort. The Holy Spirit comforts them with the message of the forgiveness of sins. The Spirit reassures them of God’s grace and love for them. The Spirit helps them to delight in God’s law and commands. They never tire of hearing of God’s wonders.

When you hear the wonders of God, may they be a welcome relief to you. May you find comfort and reassurance in Jesus—the Savior from your sin.

Prayer: