Through The Bible in a Year - August 25, 2026

“Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound [of many people speaking in other tongues] the multitude came together and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.” - Acts 2:5-6

The disciples had enormous problems. Jesus had been crucified and departed. They couldn’t speak the languages of the pilgrims flooding Jerusalem to tell of his resurrection. They had no platform, no resources, no standing that would make it humanly possible to tell the world about Jesus.

Yet, instead of waiting for them to find a way to the nations—the Lord had arranged for the people of many nations to come to their location for the celebration of Pentecost.

Instead of the disciples needing to learn every language to spread Christ’s message—everyone heard in their own tongue.

The problems that seemed to make the mission impossible became the platform on which the Spirit demonstrated what only He could do.

Later in Acts, Paul and Silas faced more human impossibilities. Beaten. Imprisoned. Chained in a dark cell in Philippi. Every door was locked. And then—there was an earthquake. The chains fell. Doors opened. A terrified Roman guard is converted. His household follows. Then, with Paul’s freedom, the gospel spreads from a prison cell across the Roman Empire.

The human problem again became the platform for the Holy Spirit’s work. 

I remember a senior statesman from our church who went on a medical mission to the Dominican Republic. He was unable to work through the day because he could not bear the heat. He was also unable to work efficiently because he could not speak Spanish. He felt useless but had an opportunity to share his reading glasses with another man who couldn’t otherwise read the small print in his Bible.

Of course, without his reading glasses, the senior statesman from our church wasn’t much help in guiding the other man through Scripture. So, the senior statesman simply told him, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” That was enough. Then, the man believed in Jesus. The senior stateman from our church later said, “I couldn’t do a thing by my own abilities. The Holy Spirit just took over.”

The problems of both men (the weaknesses of the senior statesman and the vision problems of the new believer) were the Holy Spirit’s platform to demonstrate His power and His care. Their inabilities became the invitation for the Spirit to move and work among them.

Respond: What problem seems beyond solution from God? What barrier, what limitation, what impossible situation makes you think His purposes can’t go forward in your life?

That problem may be exactly the platform the Spirit is waiting to use.

The testimony of the Spirit’s work in Scripture should encourage you to identify your biggest “problem” and reframe it as a question: “How might the Holy Spirit use this as a platform?” This does not require any of us to think that our problems are good, but allows us to pray that the Holy Spirit would make the problem the platform for the testimony of his power and care.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I have been looking at my problems as indicators that You can’t use me or that the Holy Spirit can’t move through me. But Acts 2 shows that the disciples’ problems often became the platforms for the Spirit’s greatest work. My limitations, my failures, my impossible situations—I offer them to You. I’m not depending on my strength. I’m depending on the Spirit. Take my problems and make them His platforms to testify of your power and care. In Jesus’ name, Amen.