June 8: The Spirit Poured Out, Part 2

“15until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest….17And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.” –Isaiah 33.15, 17
What a glorious thing it is when the Spirit is poured out! This is the picture the Bible gives us of the Spirit making people and things new. Where God once promised judgment because of complacency; where there was once barrenness because the people were unwilling and unable to listen to God’s voice; where cities were empty and fields were fruitless; where our souls were cursed to death because we had chosen to follow ourselves, the world, riches, or other gods rather than the true, loving God – in that same place, God’s Holy Spirit is poured out and fruitful peace is established.
This pouring out of the Spirit is why Presbyterians, among others, pour the water of baptism upon a person from above. In the new birth that baptism represents, God recreates our souls and makes them fertile for His fruit. When He pours His Spirit upon us, we are then able to hear God’s voice, and we receive peace from being reconciled to Him.
1. What glorious things have you already seen in your life from God pouring His Spirit on you? What do you still hope to see one day affected by the pouring out of His Spirit?
2. Thank God for choosing to pour out His Spirit upon your life. Without it, you would only know how to think of yourself, and your life would be barren.