Acts 8:15-16

"Who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." 

Acts 8:15-16 (ESV)

In this verse, Peter and John came and laid hands on the Samaritans so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. While, they had already been baptized in the name of Lord Jesus, their filling of the Holy Spirit was delayed. It's easy to be confused by this delay if we don't look at the context. The Samaritans that received the Spirit in this verse were the first people outside of Judaism to accept Christ. By waiting on John and Peter, there could be confirmation to the whole world that it was indeed true that those who were not Jewish could receive the Holy Spirit.
What is the significance of this in our lives today? To me, I am reminded of the huge blessing that our God does not withhold His gift of Salvation from anyone on this earth. Before the beginning of time, God knew of this particular day in His perfect plan. The day that Acts 1:8 would begin its fulfillment that Jesus' disciples, "will be [His] witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
As Americans, we are known for having a sense of entitlement when it comes to things that we think we deserve. This attitude can be so detrimental when reading a verse like this. It's easy for us to think, "of course God would want His message to get to the United States." In reality, God wants His Message to get to Americans just as much as any other country. He sends missionaries deep into jungles to reach tribes that are not even aware that an outside world exists. These missionaries spend decades just trying to earn the trust of the tribes and to learn the language before they can even begin to share Jesus with them. I love learning how God pursues these people and that He has children who are willing to let Him use them for this purpose.  

Personal Application
I'm so grateful that we are able to read about how the Samaritans received the Holy Spirt. It's so beautiful to be able to know how God's message began spreading. Today I will volunteer at one of the meals to pray for the country on the list. I want to praise God for what began on this day.