Friday, May 22, 2026

Acts 2:12-13 

12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” 

These two short verses speak volumes about how the Holy Spirit operates among us. The miracle on Pentecost was witnessed by a lot of people. Some asked, “What does this mean?” But others dismissed what they saw as a drunken display. 

This verse can stop me in my tracks. There were two groups of people seeing and hearing the same thing but came to totally different conclusions. We know from science that if researchers conduct an experiment with any kind of bias as to how they want the results to turn out, they will—surprise, surprise—see what they set out to prove. 

The one group who only saw drunken men had the bias that God doesn’t do miracles anymore, or maybe even, God doesn’t do anything anymore. 

I have to ask myself, “What is my bias? What am I expecting God to do today? Do I have any expectations of seeing God’s hand at work anywhere? Or are my expectations that God will be absent in my day?” When I am in that second frame of mind, I miss a lot of what God is actually doing. 

– Pr. Paul

Lord Jesus, open the eyes of my heart. Help me anticipate that your Spirit is at work in the lives of those I meet today. Help me listen and watch for it. Amen.