Jesus breathed on them and said,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.” (1)
I am poised to blow by Pentecost.
I have too much to do to sit around and wait for the Holy Spirit to come to me.
When Jesus died, it was 3 days before He was resurrected. By then, his disciples were back fishing and the women were gathering burial spices.
When Jesus ascended into heaven, he told the disciples to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
They burned oil for 10 days while gathered in an Upper Room praying and waiting for the Holy Spirit to come.
Imagine a Pastor today inviting all the members of a congregation to come to worship on Sunday and stay for 10 days, praying and waiting for something to happen.
I can imagine the Pastor praying for a hospital emergency by the second day. It would give him an excuse to leave the sanctuary, abandon the time of prayer, and get on with ministry.
Who has time to wait 10 days for God, for Jesus, and for the Holy Spirit?
Christians today are action oriented.
Sitting and waiting and praying and waiting and sitting and twiddling thumbs for a day or two, muchless ten would drive us all insane.
Hmmm ….
No wonder the church has so little to offer the world.
Perhaps I need to join Edwin Hatch in his prayer song:
Breathe on me, Breath of God; fill me with life anew;
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure;
Breathe on me, Breath of God, till I am all yours. (2)
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The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), John 20:22.
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Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 1990), 156.
Bread Crumbs - Devotions for Life 
So true