David and Goliath

Introduction

Many of us are familiar with the story of David and Goliath from the Bible, and there are many lessons to be drawn from it. The story reveals that the Lord God Almighty anointed David to be the future king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:12-13). Despite this, David returned to tend the sheep (1 Samuel 17:15). This might raise a question for many of us: What was in David’s heart? He must have wondered when and how this anointing would come to pass, especially since Saul was gaining success in his military campaigns, surrounded by loyal followers and wealth. However, during his time with the sheep, the Lord prepared David for future challenges by bestowing upon him gifts and strength through the Holy Spirit. David was a talented string instrument player, and the Lord empowered him, by the Holy Spirit, to kill both lion and bear (1 Samuel 17:34-37). At the appointed time, David found himself in the army camp of Israel, where he encountered Goliath, his adversary. The Holy Spirit emboldened him, giving him the courage to challenge Goliath (1 Samuel 17:45-47). However, while tending sheep, David had no idea that he would one day face this giant and defeat him, an act that would lead him to become the king’s son-in-law (1 Samuel 18:27). In this blog, we discuss the importance of staying faithful to the Lord’s call and promises despite difficulties, so we are fully trained and prepared to serve Him in the calling He has for us.

Call to Serving the Lord

David’s kingship and priesthood unto God was established through the covenant promise that was ultimately fulfilled in the Lord Jesus (2 Samuel 7:12-16, Luke 1:32, Psalm 110:4). Also, the Bible tells us that, as followers of the Lord Jesus, we are kings and priests unto God (Revelation 1:5-6, Revelation 5:9-10, Revelation 20:6). David fought the Lord’s battles (1 Samuel 18:17, 1 Samuel 25:28). In the same way as Christians, we are fighting the Lord’s battles each day (Ephesians 6:10-18, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Corinthians 10:3-4). There is a spiritual war going on daily, and we must fight on the front lines. To reach the front lines to fight the battles of the Lord, we must first be seasoned for these battles.

From the Bible, we can draw a parallel between the stages of David’s life and those of the Lord Jesus’ disciples. The Lord anointed David through Samuel to be the king of Israel. Still, before he truly took the kingship, he endured many trials that prepared him for the king the Lord intended him to be. David’s journey of growing in faith and trust in the Lord can be summarized in the following stages:

1. The Holy Spirit Anointing: David was anointed king of Israel by the prophet Samuel while serving as a shepherd for his father’s sheep (1 Samuel 16:12–13).
2. Growth in Faith: After being anointed as king, David returned to tend the sheep, and the Lord blessed him with spiritual gifts (1 Samuel 17:15).
3. Building Courage and Strength: Empowered by the Holy Spirit, David killed both lion and bear, which strengthens his trust in the Lord (1 Samuel 17:34-37).
4. Battle with Goliath: With the power of the Holy Spirit, David defeated the giant Goliath, standing firm for the Lord God Almighty before the Israelite army. This miracle encouraged the people, and afterward David was brought into Saul’s household, later becoming Saul’s son-in-law (1 Samuel 17:45-50; 18:17-27).
5. Persecutions and Trials: Before ascending the throne, David endured persecution and tribulations, primarily from his father-in-law, King Saul, due to jealousy, pride, and faithlessness (1 Samuel 18:8-11; 19:9-10; 24:1-15).
6. Establishment of Kingship: Ultimately, David’s kingship was established over Israel according to the Lord’s promise (2 Samuel 5:1-5; 7:12-16).

One should consider David’s actions toward the Lord throughout his life, which was marked by both blessings and trials. Despite the challenges he faced, David continually praised the Lord, expressing his gratitude, seeking guidance and assistance, and glorifying Him through prayer in the Holy Spirit.

In parallel, here, we can also examine the lives of the disciples of the Lord Jesus.

1. The Calling of the Disciples: First, the Lord Jesus called the disciples to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11).
2. Growing in Faith: The disciples walked with the Lord Jesus and witnessed His ministry on earth (Luke 8:1; Acts 1:21-22; John 15:27).
3. Learning to Serve: The disciples learned to serve the Lord Jesus by being sent ahead of Him to announce His coming and to perform miracles in His name (Matthew 10:5-14; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6; Luke 10:1-22).
4. Learning to Trust and Have Patience: After the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, they waited for the promise of the Holy Spirit, which empowered them for the ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:1-4).
5. Persecution Will Arise for Those Serving the Lord Jesus: The disciples, during their ministry, faced persecution and trials, with some even being killed for their testimony about the Lord Jesus (John 15:18-25; Acts 5:40-42; Acts 7:54-60; 2 Corinthians 11:23-27).
6. Learning to be Obedient and Humble: Once the Holy Spirit came upon them, the disciples began to spread the good news by His guidance. The Holy Spirit worked through them to share the message of the Lord Jesus’ resurrection and the salvation of souls in His name. Their ministry was accompanied by mighty miracles performed in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 4:31-33; Acts 5:12-16; Romans 15:18-19).

When considering the disciples, it is important to reflect on their responses throughout their lives, which were marked by both spiritual blessings and earthly challenges, including persecution (John 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:12). In the Word of God, we see that the early disciples faced significant persecution (Acts 4:1-3; Acts 5:17-18; Acts 8:1); yet, despite this, they prayed continually in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18; Jude 1:20) and rejoiced for being counted worthy to suffer for the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 5:41).

To encourage every reader to build faith, trust, and patience in serving the Lord, we want to emphasize the importance of not giving up when difficulties arise. In the subsections below, we present a related Bible passage along with encouraging comments for each of the faith stages we identified in the lives of the disciples of the Lord Jesus.

The Calling of the Disciples

Each of us has within us the knowledge of the Creator of all things. When we seek understanding, we will hear the Lord Jesus calling us from within. Just as He called the disciples while walking by the Sea of Galilee, there will come a moment in each person’s life when He calls to us in our hearts with the same words: “Come after Me.” And to call us to follow Him, the Lord doesn’t check our earthly resumes; He calls all, regardless of the work they do on this earth.

Mark 1:16 And passing by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

17 And Jesus said to them, Come after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

18 And straightaway having left the nets, they followed Him.

19 And going on a little further, He saw James the Zebedee, and John his brother, and they were adjusting the nets in the boat.

20 And straightaway He called them; and having left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, they went after Him.

Comments Mark 1:16-20. See also Comments Matthew 4:18-22, Comments Luke 5:2-11, and Comments John 1:40-42.

“James the Zebedee.” Sometimes the Bible will refer to the generation before the person to let us see. If the sons do good things, the father will also be mentioned.

“And straightaway …” Pay attention to the fact that they (Simon, Andrew, James, and John) left everything just by calling. They did not see the miracles, but hearing, when they received the call, they left everything and followed; that is why they are mentioned here, to show their faithfulness.

In those times, commoners did the job of fishermen; it was a commoner’s job; the disciples were commoners, but they had a special call that referred to the heart, not the work they did.

Growing in Faith

After we receive the call from the Lord Jesus to follow Him, we must repent, be baptized in water, seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and walk with the Lord Jesus every day. We should grow in faith by reading and meditating on the Word of God while praying and waiting for the miraculous blessing of the Holy Spirit to come upon us. The Word of God tells us that the Holy Spirit bears witness concerning the Lord Jesus and His work on earth. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can share the good news about the Lord Jesus and bear witness to our walk with Him, just as the disciples did.

John 15:26 When the Intercessor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness concerning Me.

Comments John 15:26. “When the Intercessor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father.” Here, in this verse, it is proof to all readers that the beloved Son of God and the Father are One; remember that the Holy Spirit is also the Spirit of the Father, and this verse clearly states that the beloved Son of God will send the Holy Spirit. So, it is clearly shown here that the Father and the Son are One and that they share one Holy Spirit. Whatever the Father wants, the beloved Son of God will do. As we know, remember the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father; so, if the Father does not want the Holy Spirit to come down, the beloved Son of God will not be able to send the Spirit of the Father to earth. Still, it is the Father’s will, Himself, for the Holy Spirit to come down on earth.

“The Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father.” The Holy Spirit, as the verse states, is sent from the Father; the Spirit of truth from the Father has come down for humans; the beloved Son of God has sent the Holy Spirit to humans, and the Holy Spirit has come forth from the Father Himself. Let all believers take note here as well: the Father always listens to the Son, and also, the Father does as the Son asks. The most important thing here is that the Father has sent His own Spirit, but the person who delivers the Spirit of the Father is the beloved Son of God, who can handle the Most High Spirit because the beloved Son of God is One with the Father.

“He will bear witness concerning Me.” The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Father, will be the One who bears witness related to the duty and authority of the beloved Son of God on earth. The Holy Spirit will remind all true believers that whatsoever the beloved Son of God has said, all things come from the Father, not only from Himself alone, and the Holy Spirit will testify to all concerning the authority of the beloved Son of God. Therefore, let all true believers listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and when you glorify God, do so in the Trinity of God; do not try to separate worship into three parts, but always glorify the Trinity of God together, and all your needs will be heard. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Father, is a continual witness on earth of the deity of the Son of God.

27 Now you also bear witness, because you are with Me from the beginning.

Comments John 15:27. This verse is the conclusion of the theme itself; the beloved Son of God has spoken to His disciples and given them the duty of spreading all the good news without keeping any part secret. Whatever has been told to them, they must tell further, and they themselves become true witnesses of the beloved Son of God when they have gone out and spread the message to the people. This verse refers to the eyewitnesses of humans; during the time the beloved Son of God lived on earth, He taught the disciples, which is why they are His witnesses. It is important that the Lord Jesus has the Holy Spirit as His witness from the Father, and the apostles as human witnesses. They are the eyewitnesses of His deity, His teachings, His miracles, His betrayal and trial, His crucifixion, His death, His burial, His bodily resurrection, and His ascension to the Father.

Learning to Serve

Serving the Lord requires humility, and we must follow the commandments as written in the Word of God. We are called to walk the narrow path (Luke 9:23) and be a true light to those around us. In the Gospels, we see that the Lord Jesus empowered His disciples—the twelve and others—to go before Him and proclaim the good news that “the kingdom of God has come near.” They healed the sick and performed miraculous works freely for everyone they encountered.

When we witness the Lord performing miraculous works through us, it can be tempting to boast about our abilities. However, God desires us to remain humble, obedient, and faithful, giving all the credit to the Trinity of God. We must always remember that all miracles are accomplished through the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the name of the Lord Jesus. Our righteousness comes not from ourselves but from the mercy of the Lord Jesus.

In Luke 10, we find that the Lord Jesus sent seventy-two of His disciples ahead of Him to proclaim that the Kingdom of God has come near. When they returned, they were filled with gladness and reported about their deeds to the Lord Jesus. In this subsection, we focus on the answers given by the Lord Jesus, which remain important for us today.

Luke 10:17 And the seventy-two returned with gladness, saying, Lord, even the demons are submissive to us in Thy name.

Comments Luke 10:17. Give attention to the last part, “in Thy name”, which is the heart of all activity when the believers act according to the will of the Lord. They are joyful because they can see that by themselves, they can do work under the shadow of the Lord.

18 Then He said to them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning out of heaven.

Comments Luke 10:18. In this verse, the beloved Son of God tells not only His disciples, but also all humans in the world as well, that He has seen “Satan fallen as lightning out of heaven.” Because the Father’s plan has come into effect, the beloved Son of God has come down on earth to gather all humans that belong to Him. The only way Satan can fight is by coming down on earth, and to stop humans from believing in the mercy of the Father through the beloved Son of God. They cannot fight God, but they can fight to win humans, because not all humans will obey all the teachings of the beloved Son of God, and some will not be able to escape from evil’s hand.

19 Behold, I have given you the authority to tread upon Satan and scorpions, and upon all the power of the adversary, and nothing shall in any way harm you.

Comments Luke 10:19. This verse clearly tells us that the beloved Son of God has the authority to appoint someone (a disciple) to work on earth to fight the children of the dark, who will come when any humans listen to and obey the voice of the dark. As the verse says, the Lord Jesus will give His disciples authority. The power of the enemy surrounds us on earth, but they cannot overpower (possess by themselves) the human mind because the Holy Spirit occupies the earth. But the ones who are listening to the dark are opening themselves to be used by them.

“The authority to tread upon Satan and scorpions.” Satan here is the voice of the dark. The serpents themselves are the spirits of the dark, which Satan has sent down to prepare the way for themselves. But the scorpions are the humans who obey the dark side teaching. The Lord has the power to give authority to his servants to be able to overpower them (serpents and scorpions) and be submissive to the servants of the Lord.

“And upon all the power of the adversary.” By the authority they have received, the servants will have the power to fight all evil.

“Nothing shall in any way harm you.” The “harm” here refers not to the physical body but to the spiritual soul of the person who has submitted themselves to serve the beloved Son of God on this earth. The servants’ souls will not be hurt in any way by the enemy; the Lord has given them authority to conquer the dark.

20 Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are submissive to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

Comments Luke 10:20. As the verse tells us, when you do work for the Lord and succeed here on earth, do not rejoice over that success, but rejoice that, as the verse tells us, your names are written in heaven. When the judgment time comes, if your name has been written down, you will not be waiting for the judgement, but you will cross to the other side and be alongside the beloved Son of God.

Learning to Trust and Have Patience

In the Bible, we find that the Lord Jesus clearly told His disciples that He was going to the Father and would send the Holy Spirit to be their comforter, guide, and helper in their walk with Him on this earth. The disciples believed in and trusted the Lord Jesus and were blessed with the miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit baptism. The same way is for us today: if we believe, seek, and do not get discouraged, the Lord will bless us when the opportune time comes with this wonderful gift from above. But one must meditate on how they would know that this wonderful gift has been bestowed on them. We can find guidance on the Holy Spirit’s baptism in Acts 2:1-6. When the gift of the Holy Spirit is fully manifested in a believer, that person will feel an inner stirring to go forth and spread the good news.

Acts 2:1 And in the day of Pentecost being fulfilled, they were all together in one place.

2 And suddenly came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Comments Acts 2:1-2. “... they were all together in one place.” When believers join together in faith, the mighty work will happen.

“And suddenly came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind.” The Lord has created everything; as it is written, no one knows where the wind comes from and where it will go, and here in this place, the Lord comes with the mighty wind. See Comments John 3:8.

“And it filled all the house where they were sitting.” When the wind filled up the place, all those who were in it were covered with the wind; the Lord would use everyone to do the work.

3 And there appeared to them tongues parting asunder, as of fire, and it sat upon each one of them.

Comments Acts 2:3. “And there appeared to them tongues parting asunder, as of fire.” Let all readers pay attention to what the mighty work the Lord performed here. When the fire comes upon a person, that person has received a gift. A special gift from the Father has been revealed here.

“And it sat upon each one of them.” The blessing from the Lord is unlimited; as many people gather, the blessing is enough for all.

Note: The human eye could see the shape of fire leaping above each person; this miracle strengthened the person who received this gift.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

Comments Acts 2:4. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” Give attention to what the word says: all, not part, but all were filled with the gift from the Father.

“And began to speak in other tongues.” Here, it confirms the sign of the gift: when you are baptized with the Holy Spirit, the gift of other tongues also will be there. And this also shows humans that the will of the Lord has been spoken out for all to know.

Meditating on this verse, one may question what type of tongues were given as a sign of baptism with the Holy Spirit. Human language does not need interpretation, but the angelic language must be accompanied by interpretation. Here, the disciples spoke both angelic and human languages.

“As the Spirit was giving them utterance.” When the will of the Lord has been proclaimed, understanding will also come. When the word says, “giving them utterance,” that means they spoke in angelic languages and then translated into various human languages as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Here, utterance means a spoken word about the work of God.

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.

Comments Acts 2:5. In this verse, it tells to all humans as well that the Lord has performed a miracle and everyone will notice the power of God.

“Jews, devout men.” These are a group of males who devoted themselves to searching for the truth about God.

“From every nation under heaven.” This generally means that all nations from under heaven were there and had seen the miracle.

6 Now this sound having happened, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

Comments Acts 2:6. “Now this sound having happened, the multitude came together, and were confounded.” In this place, when humans hear a mighty sound by ear, it has worked and stirred their minds to think, and their reaction of the heart from what they hear with their ear has stirred their hearts to think what truly happened. Now, their hearts are opened with eagerness to know the truth.

“Because each one heard them speaking in his own language.” Now, the wonder in their hearts has come to their heads: how these people can know their language; each person's heart has been touched by it.

Summary of what happened from verse 1 to verse 6:

1. The disciples were gathered together in one place, praying and waiting for the promise from the Father.
2. “Suddenly came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind.” The disciples and others heard this mighty sound, which drew attention to itself, and people started to look where the sound came from. When the sound came, people looked to see where the loud sound came from.
3. “And there appeared to them tongues parting asunder.” These tongues of fire appeared only in the place where the disciples were praying. At this time, the disciples received the promised gift from the Father and were baptized with the Holy Spirit. They started to speak in angelic tongues and prophecy inside the place.
4. Then, the Holy Spirit stirred the disciples (all those gathered in the place praying) to go out and prophesy to people about the work of God. When they came out, they testified to people whom they met in those people's birth language, which amazed people and created confusion among them.

Confounded meaning: confused, perplexed.

Persecution Will Arise for Those Serving the Lord Jesus

If we are true followers of the Lord Jesus, He warns us in John 15:20-21 that we will face persecution on account of His name. The primary reason is that the evil one does not want our souls saved and will attempt to lead us astray. However, we must remain firm in our faith in the Lord Jesus, read and meditate on His Word, listen to His voice in our hearts, and trust His promises: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give to them eternal life; and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch out from the Father’s hand. I and the Father are One” (John 10:27-30).

John 15:20 Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, also they will persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

Comments John 15:20. “A servant is not greater than his master.” As the verse tells us, remember as well that the beloved Son of God has been born in human form and has taken the position of a servant to the Father. When anyone has glorified the beloved Son of God, that glorifying will go to the Father because the beloved Son is a servant of the Father, and all glorifying and worshiping, He will lead them to the Father. After all, when you glorify the Father, the Trinity of God is also glorified at the same time, and that is why the verse tells us that the servant is not greater than the master.

“If they persecuted Me, also they will persecute you.” Also, you, as a believer, must do your duty as well. The believer’s duty is to share the belief that they have and tell their belief to everyone they meet. However, when the time is right, the Lord will speak into your heart when it is time to give out your belief as well, and that soul will hear what you said. It may not sink down deep in their soul yet, but in time, what they heard will take root, and it will spread everywhere into their soul. It will be a time when they cannot escape the truth. Their ear of the soul will also open, and they will feel in their hearts that there is no place else to go but only to come at the foot of the cross and glorify the Trinity of God with all their soul and mind. However, when you do your duty, persecution can also come with it.

“If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” When those who hear the Word and do nothing, that is also disobedience to the Lord Himself. When disobedience has occurred and sunk down into their hearts, they have persecuted their own soul, which the Lord has given them. The Word they hear will also be used to judge them at the judgment time. If you have told the Holy Word to them and they have ignored it, that is like crucifying the heart of the Lord. When disobedience comes, they have persecuted their own soul. In that time, when they have persecuted the beloved Son of God, when they didn’t listen to the Word of God, whomever He has sent, they didn’t listen to that one, and they would turn back and persecute that person who has told them the truth about the things that had happened. When you have told them what had happened to the beloved Son of God, you also act as a witness and messenger at the same time, and for that reason, they will persecute you.

When the Lord Jesus spoke about His persecution, He also said they did not believe Him. Therefore, when they did not listen to Him, they did not listen to the Father Himself. So, when you go and tell the Holy Word to them, if they reject the word you have told, they reject the Trinity of God.

21 But all these they will do to you because of My name, because they do not know the One having sent Me.

Comments John 15:21. When they do not accept the beloved Son of God, they will not accept you as well. Whatever negative thoughts they thought about the beloved Son of God, all those they will also put on you because you have brought His teaching to their ears. However, if anyone has heard about the beloved Son of God, whether or not they have meditated on the message, the message has already been given to their soul.

This verse is not only about the physical beating of the persecution. The persecution of the soul and the beating of the spirit, the hurt of them is greater than the physical torture. So the rejection here is not about the physical you, but the feeling of your soul has been rejected because of the Holy Word you try to give to them, and that will give you no peace on this earth. And you will try to find a different way to convey the message more clearly, but you must always stick to what the Bible has told you. What human ideas have come, leave them on the side, instead use what the deep inside of you is telling you. This feeling of torture is not visible in this world, but you have no peace because they rejected what you have said to them. You don’t find peace because they did not receive the message. And your heart worries about how to make them listen to the message, and that will not give you peace until you can clearly see the result. However, they did not reject you, but they rejected the Holy Word itself, and that is the first step of persecution. You will feel more later, when the deep soul has no peace as a human, and you cannot sleep or eat, and those feelings of fulfillment will never satisfy your soul later on; this refers to disappointment because you don’t see yourself doing the right work in leading people to come and glorify the Lord.

Learning to be Obedient and Humble

In the Book of Acts, we learn that after enduring persecution, the disciples gathered together to pray in the Holy Spirit. As a result, they were filled with renewed strength to continue their work. This serves as a reminder for all followers of the Lord Jesus that, in all circumstances, we must remain obedient and humble. We should seek to be refilled with the Holy Spirit regularly to gain fresh, renewed strength, especially since various situations can bring different feelings and stress into our lives, potentially making us feel like giving up. We should look to the disciples as our example in serving the Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings, and grant to Thy servants to speak Thy word with all boldness,

Comments Acts 4:29. God the Father always listens to those who beg for mercy with sincere hearts. The purpose of this begging here from the Lord is not for lifting up of themselves but to glorify the God Most High. When you rely on the power and mercy of God Almighty, you have shown humbleness of the soul as well; the Lord God Almighty will be merciful to His servants.

30 in that Thy stretch out Thy hand, for healing, and signs and wonders to be done through the name of Thy holy Servant Jesus.

Comments Acts 4:30. “In that Thy stretch out Thy hand.” Watch out! Here, the verse clearly tells us that the Father Himself has His own plan because of the coming of His Son on earth. When the Father stretches out His hand to take care of the things around the world, the result will impact all living, not only humans; all things that God Almighty has created will notice His power.

“For healing, and signs and wonders ...” God the Father works through the beloved Son of God with greatness: the miracles of healing and helping the world will be shown, and even nature itself will have signs that cannot be explained. The beloved Son of God will also perform miracles with His power and might; the Father has given to the beloved Son of God all decisions upon His will; all the mighty work and miracles will be shown to all humans to see.

31 And they having prayed, the place was shaken in which they were assembled; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and were speaking the word of God with boldness.

Comments Acts 4:31. “And they having prayed, the place was shaken ...” Let all readers pay attention to what the verse says: when the disciples prayed with open hearts and begged for mercy, the Father responded with the sign of shaking the whole place. If, in response to the prayer of the disciples, the place was shaken, let all think about what would happen to the earth when the beloved Son of God returns in His Father’s glory.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” When the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit in their souls, that filling gave them the ability to perform miracles and stand firm in testifying about the miracles of God Almighty. The filling of a person with the Holy Spirit will also impact not just the soul but the heart and body as well.

“And were speaking the word of God with boldness.” When filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, the person will go out and speak boldly about the work of God, with no reluctance to spread it, and without fear of consequences for themselves.

Here, one may question if being filled with the Holy Spirit is different from the baptism in the Holy Spirit. When filling with the Holy Spirit, the human will feel the strengthening of the soul within themselves. The human soul will acknowledge the power that has been given to them for the work of serving. When baptized in the Holy Spirit, the souls of humans have been touched and comforted with the mercy of the Holy Spirit. The person will have the urge to go out and tell how to be recognized in working for God. When the person speaks, the Holy Spirit will give them the words and what to say to others.

How often should a believer pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Humans have neglected to pray consistently; always being in prayer is the hardest thing for humans to do. The human mind tends to think it can pray later, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit, prayer is needed at all times; so, pray at all times to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

32 And the multitude of those that believed were of one heart and soul, and not one said that anything of that which he possessed was his own; but all things were to them in common.

Comments Acts 4:32. Let all believers give attention to this verse: when the Lord said, “were of one heart and soul,” the Lord wants all believers to cut selfish desires from themselves; the children of God Almighty should not have this feeling within themselves; believers should consider all things to share. Especially among believers of the same family of God, to share things without concern about who they belong to; that is the purpose because God Almighty is the One who gives the believers all that they have; therefore, sharing among believers is the way it should be.

33 And with great power the apostles gave testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all.

Comments Acts 4:33. “... testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” When the true realization came upon the disciples, they all, with one accord, went out and testified about the resurrection of the beloved Son of God. The most difficult thing for people to understand is that if Jesus is God, why does He have to die? But the disciples’ testimony of the resurrection has also pointed out to them that God never dies. The beloved Son of God, Jesus, is God, and that is why death cannot hold Him in the grave.

“And great grace was upon them all.” By the mercy of God the Father, all disciples received a grace blessing to stand firm in this faith and to go out and go around without reluctance to spread the good news.

“Grace blessing.” For the disciples to go and explain the miracles the beloved Son of God performed, it was not as if normal people’s minds could come up with all the stories; rather, by the mercy of God the Father, the disciples’ memory was bright, with no flaw in telling the truth.

Conclusion

The Lord God Almighty loves us as a Father and desires to bless us with wonderful gifts from above, particularly the miracle of baptism in the Holy Spirit (see Luke 11:13). This gift enables us to become true followers of the Lord Jesus. The key lesson is that we must seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit so that He may dwell within our souls, guiding and empowering us to serve the Lord God Almighty. Additionally, we need to pray regularly to be refilled with the Holy Spirit. Throughout our journey on this earth, various situations can lead to doubt and weaken our faith; therefore, consistent prayer is essential.

The Lord never changes; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever in His Holy Trinity. We have the Bible as a testimony of how the Holy Spirit worked in the Old Testament, with David as a great example. In the New Testament, we see the disciples who followed the guidance of the Lord Jesus and received the miracle of the baptism in the Holy Spirit through speaking in unknown tongues. The same is true for us today. If we believe, seek, pray, and wait, the blessing of the Holy Spirit’s baptism, through the miracle sign of speaking in other tongues, will come to us.

Furthermore, to stay strong in our walk with the Lord on this earth, it is important to reflect on how David and the disciples of the Lord Jesus responded to persecution and trials. They praised and glorified the Lord God Almighty while expressing their gratitude to Him. For instance, we see many psalms written by David. Additionally, we can look at Paul and Silas’ reaction when they were in prison (Acts 16:23-25) and Stephen’s prayer during his stoning (Acts 7:59-60), among others.

Meditation Tasks

1. We invite all readers to take a moment to observe the world around them and reflect on the Creator of all things, both visible and invisible. We encourage you to seek peace with God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. By believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, you can find the only path of salvation for your soul, which God the Father has set for all humanity.
2. Additionally, we encourage all readers to consult our articles: “Make Peace with God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ,” “Water Baptism for a Christian,” and “Holy Spirit Baptism for a Christian.”