Being Filled with the Holy Spirit

Today's Journal Reading
Genesis 1, 2; Luke 1

Luke 1:44
“For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.”

Observation:
Mary is pregnant with Jesus, and is coming to visit Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John. When Elizabeth hears Mary coming, she felt John leap for joy inside of her. Even as a baby inside his mother’s womb, John’s spirit was aware of the presence of Jesus, His savior.

Application:
There have been times in my life when I have met someone for the first time, and I know they were a child of God and the Holy Spirit lives inside of them. I can’t describe the feeling, but it’s there. It’s like the Holy Spirit inside of me acknowledges, responds, and communicates with the Holy Spirit inside of that other person. Something like that is what I think occurred in the womb of Elizabeth and Mary. There was an acknowledgement, a greeting of joy by John to Jesus – even before they were born, and still being formed in their mother’s womb.

As I look back at those few times that this has occurred to me, I realize that it was during a time in my life when I was pursuing my relationship with the Lord. I was active in spending time with Him, reading the Bible, applying what I’m learning in my life. Even though, I already had the Holy Spirit living inside of me the very moment I accepted Christ, I am not always filled with Holy Spirit on a daily basis. Instead, I get filled with other things from the busyness of the day – frustration, anger, fear, anxiety, worry, stress, sadness, irritation, loneliness…the list could go on and on. And then, I cry out for Jesus to send the ultimate healer, counselor and teacher – and there is no room because my heart is already full.

Lord, help me to surrender and give up the things that fill my heart and take the place of You. I want to make room for the filling of Your Holy Spirit each and every day, so that I will recognize what is of You and will feel a leap of joy as it comes across my path. I don’t want to miss anything that is coming from You!