Friends in the Spirit

Friends in the Spirit  Wed, 26 Dec 2018  ‘Elizabeth’s child leaped within her.’ Luke 1:41 NLT  Here’s an interesting chapter in the Christmas story—one that teaches us about ‘friends in the Spirit’. The Bible says: ‘A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.” … Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.’ (Luke 1:39–42; 56 NLT) Besides being cousins, Mary and Elizabeth were ‘friends in the Spirit’. They didn’t just connect socially, they connected spiritually at a deeper level. Perhaps that’s why Mary ‘hurried’ to see Elizabeth, and why she spent three months with her. It’s also why Elizabeth confirmed the miraculous purposes of God that were being fulfilled in Mary’s life, and commended her for her obedience. When God introduces you to someone who has been touched by His Spirit and carries within them a vision that’s conceived by the Holy Spirit, reach out to them, treasure them, and build a relationship with them. The connection between these two women didn’t take place because they were part of the same family. The truth is, sometimes our families are the first to criticise us and the last to understand us. Notice, when Mary greeted Elizabeth, the unborn child within her leaped in her womb. How do you recognise a ‘friend in the Spirit’? When they speak, something within you will resonate. That’s because you are both filled with the same Holy Spirit and empowered to do God’s will. SoulFood: Job 24–28, Jn 1:6–18, Ps 113, Ecc 10:10–14