Filled with the Holy Spirit
Key Bible Passage:
In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:39-45)
Reflect:
In Luke 1 we see Mary and Elizabeth–battle buddies–both miraculously pregnant.
Their excitement is palpable, and the indwelling Holy Spirit (God-with-us yet again) is central. I almost imagine the two women with their arms around each other–bellies bumping–leaping and screaming like people do when they win a prize on a TV game show. Elizabeth was overcome as she called Mary, “the mother of my Lord.”
We should jump up and down like crazy women because Mary’s baby is our Lord, too.
Remember, we are treasure hunting this Christmas season. Look for the riches (the “goods”) God has hidden in the nativity scene–the story beneath the story. Colossians 3:18 backs this up, saying, “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” With that in mind, what do we learn about God’s character in Luke 1:39-45? We want to keep asking this question because God’s Word–however entertaining–is ultimately meant to sustain us with spiritual nourishment!
Two obvious themes here are blessing and joy. God is a God of blessing and joy. Whatever our trials and temptations, we can experience blessing and joy as we draw near to God.
Respond:
- Think of a “battle buddy” in your life and thank her with words or a small gift.
