Misunderstanding the moves of God on Pentecost came from viewing them through the lens of sin. Sin always clouds God’s works. Devout Jews from many nations were in Jerusalem when a loud noise drew a crowd together. They were amazed and bewildered to hear the believers from Galilee speaking in their own native languages. People from regions such as Parthia, Media, Egypt, Rome, Crete, and Arabia all heard the wonders of God declared in their own languages.
Acts 2:12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other. 13 But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!” [1] Have you ever misunderstood what God was doing? When we seek the Lord, He will give us discernment to understand, even when what He is doing does not make sense to us in the natural.
Being at a Crossroads
In Acts 2:12-13, the crowd witnessing the outpouring of the Spirit stood at a crossroads. Some were amazed and asked, “What does this mean?” Others mocked and dismissed the miracle as drunkenness. The same powerful move of God produced two very different responses. When God moves, not everyone understands, and not everyone responds in faith.
His works often stretch our expectations and challenge our assumptions. The question is not whether God is moving, but how we will respond when His work does not fit neatly into our understanding. There will always be people who misunderstand how God works, mock it, or question His integrity. Christians have a choice: they can either worry and fret or, like Peter, take the chance to share with others the wonderful things God is doing.
What Lens Will You Look Through?
How we respond to what God is doing that we don’t understand is often determined by what lens we look through. Scripture explains looking through the lens of faith. Hebrews 11:1Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. [2] The lens of faith does not use reason as its backdrop, but trusts in God even when we don’t understand. This is the lens that will lead us to prayer and to seeking the Lord when we are confronted with something we don’t understand.
When I look through the lens of unbelief, no matter what evidence someone gives, it is never enough. The good news of the Gospel is that it can change our hearts if we are open to the work of the Holy Spirit. A once hardened heart does not have to stay that way. Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. [3]
Prayer
Lord, I don’t understand what You are doing, but I know You do. Please give me a discerning heart and help me respond as You desire so I can fulfill the plans You have for my life.
To learn more about misunderstanding the moves of God, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/pentecost-the-church-in-transition
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.