May 24, 2026
Have you ever taken a couple of paper cups, poked a hole in each one and joined them with a string? You then pull the string tight, and while one talks in one cup, the person on the other end puts the cup to his ear. What happens? He can hear your voice!
But you need that string. Without it, it wouldn’t matter how much one of you talked into a cup; the other would not hear your voice coming through.
That little string changes everything. When you add the string, you can hear what is being said. When you add the string, the message becomes as clear as if the person speaking in the cup is whispering right into your ear.
Today is Pentecost, the day when Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to the church. Remember, the Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who makes us holy because He’s the one who gives us faith. Where does the Holy Spirit give us faith? Baptism and God’s Word. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives us faith in our baptism and gives us faith as we read God’s Word. He’s the one making us holy every day, forgiving our sins through Jesus’ death on the cross and helping us live a new and holy life in Him.
The Holy Spirit is like the string between our two cups. He gives us faith. He allows us to believe in those words, “Jesus loves you.” Without the Holy Spirit, it would be as if we didn’t hear those words at all. So today at Pentecost, God sends His Holy Spirit so that we can have faith and trust in the words given to us in Baptism: that we are forgiven of all our sins and are children of God in His Holy Word.
So did you know Jesus loves you? How did you know that? Because He tells us so! Yes, and when you heard, the Holy Spirit made the connection in your heart to believe it.
Dear Lord, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to guide me to hear Your Word and believe it! Amen.