Acts 2:8 “Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?”

Many years ago I read, in a commentary that had belonged to my father’s father, a note he had written in the margin at a place that was talking about this incident, “Was this a miracle or speaking, or of hearing?” That is a valid question, but I’m not sure how much difference it makes. The point is that God was enabling communication, in a reverse of what He did at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. This of course enabled what Jesus said in Acts 1:8 about believers being witnesses by the power of the Holy Spirit, whichever direction it operated. This actually works when only one language is involved, too. Every pastor has experienced people thanking them for things they had said in a sermon that they were quite confident they never said! However, God had enabled people to hear what He was saying to them, even when it wasn’t what was being physically spoken. That doesn’t happen as often in written communication, but it’s possible, because nothing is impossible for God. The point is that God needs to act on both ends of communication for it to be fully effective. We often hear things for which we lack context, and end up having no idea what has been said. That’s certainly true when it comes to discussions of modern technology. We tend to nod and act like we understand, when actually, nothing is getting very far past our eardrums. We need to understand that we are dependent on God in all things at all times, and ask Him to enable us to communicated accurately and hear accurately. As James said, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)

Ministering in Japan, I’ve experienced communication miracles of all sorts, as well as abundant mis-communication! There are countless tales, some of them quite funny, of the verbal mistakes of new missionaries, but there are also stories of situations where logically, there should have been very little real communication, but somehow the Gospel got through magnificently. My wife has experienced quite a few of those. Several years ago she was in a prayer meeting with a group of Filipina girls, and was praying in tongues. The girls started getting very excited, because it seems that she was praying for them in Tagalog, which she doesn’t speak in the slightest! In recent years she has had communication difficulties in both English and Japanese because of having had surgery for a brain tumor, but time and time again I have seen her heart communicate what her words shouldn’t have been able to. Pentecost is operative in her life! I grew up with both English and Japanese, and I speak a few words in several other languages, but I need to remember that genuine communication always requires the help of the Holy Spirit, whatever words are involved.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the gift of words that You have given me, that my father recognized in writing 60 years ago. May my words, spoken or written, accurately express what You are saying, and may my hearers and readers likewise be enabled to receive what You are saying to them, whether I understand it or not. Thank You. Praise God!