It Starts Small

Have you felt uncomfortable lately? It does not feel good to be stuck between two normals. The inability to see the future feels like a lingering cold that never goes away and constantly reminds us of our predicament. This can drive our thoughts inward. The only thing we seem to think about is “me.” Friend, it does not have to be this way. Our scripture for today opens our eyes to a higher reality.

Look Up and be Grateful

Today we read the powerful story of Pentecost. Pentecost is the Greek word for the Jewish Shavuot. It is a celebration of the “first fruit” of the harvest. After months of laboring, farmers are ready to reap their harvest. Shavuot also reminded them of the higher reality: God’s graciousness and His Providence.

While farmers can plow their fields and sow seeds, it was God who sends them rain and causes the grain to grow. The farmers lived by faith, but focusing on their inability to control the rain was not a good strategy of living. Working faithfully AND trusting God is. Instead of reaping the harvest and storing it all in their storehouses, they instead brought the “first fruits” as an act of worship. They acknowledged that God is the true source of hope for the future.

Don’t you think we should do the same?

Look Onward and be Gracious

Pentecost is associated with the mysterious “tongue.”

³ They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. ⁴ Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 2:3-4

Have you ever wondered what “speaking in tongues” means? I am quite literal and when I first read this, all I could imagine was literal fire coming out of the mouths of people. I do not believe this is what it means. In fact, I think we are asking the wrong question. It is important to ask what “is”, but I think it is more important to ask what are they used “for”?

Why did God allow the disciples to speak in other people’s languages? The obvious answer is the climax of Acts 2 and given after the tongues. The gift was not given for them to look good, it was to enable other people to hear the gospel. True love points outward!

As we journey to the new normal, we need to new kingdom values. The “it is all about me” mentality has no place in Jesus’ kingdom. “Look at me!” gets replaced with “How can I serve you?”

Joy and meaning come not by looking inward, but by looking upward and onward.

Thought to Ponder:

What would my “first fruit” worship to God look like?

What can I do to express my gratitude to God?

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© Kimberlee Smith 2025 http://www.itstartssmall.com All rights reserved.