FROM A-Z

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Galations 5:22-23

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. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”  Luke 1:39-45

I just wrote in my prayer journal, “Lord, make me into Elizabeth.”  The more I study this first woman of Christmas, the more I want to be like her.  Actually, as I study each “Little Women of Christmas” I want to be a hybrid of Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna.  I want a different characteristic from each of these women from different generations and different experiences to flow out of me and into others. You will see as we go through each of their lives during that first Christmas so long ago.  But for now, I just cannot leave Elizabeth.  It is like she has just pulled up a rocker and I am sitting at her feet and all I see is this beautiful, quiet, humble, regal woman just filled with the Holy Spirit of God.  I look at the cover of my prayer journal and I see the adjectives love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Yes, yes, yes, check, check, check.  Elizabeth is all those words and actually those words are her nouns.  Elizabeth is love.  Elizabeth is joy.  Elizabeth is peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness.  She is self-control.  Only self-control would be able to go into seclusion for five months just to celebrate privately all the Lord has done for you.

Today, the trait that just jumps out at me is her sensitivity to God and what He is doing around her.  Truly, can you see her inner glow?  The New Living Translation says “At the sound of Mary’s greeting…” Then all of a sudden Elizabeth gave a glad cry and said something to the effect, “Mary your with child and that child is the Son of God!”

WHAAAAAT?  Did I miss a verse or two? Where was the part where Mary told Elizabeth about Gabriel’s visit?  How did Elizabeth go from hearing Mary say “Hi’ to spouting “Your pregnant and you are the mother of my Lord.”  Talk about jumping from A to Z!  The Son of God had just entered her home and Elizabeth knew Emmanuel God with us was present so she worshipped.  Now that is what I call being sensitive to the Spirit.

I love this scene.  Elizabeth is now six months pregnant.  Her little baby bump has now becomes a round belly.  My daughter-in-law is pregnant.  We have all heard the baby’s heartbeat.  I call the baby “Lil Hopper” because already the baby is hopping all over the place.  I am getting excited for Whitney to feel the baby kick.  That baby’s daddy kicked field goals inside my tummy for many months.  The verse says, “At the sound of Mary’s greeting the baby leaped.”  Some versions say “jumped.”  Whatever type of movement John did inside of Elizabeth at the moment she heard Mary’s greeting was more than just a kick.  John, not even out of Elizabeth’s womb, leaped for joy!  Truly I am awestruck at this whole scene.  This is no ordinary meeting of two pregnant women and two unborn sons.  When God is involved everything becomes EXTRA – ORDINARY! (extraordinary)  Did Elizabeth remember Gabriel’s promise?  Her son “would be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb” Luke 1:15.

The moment John leaped inside of her Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  She began shouting, exclaiming, “You are blessed among all women!” And “how could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”  This mother knew that her son was leaping for joy inside of her.  “She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the LORD will be fulfilled!”

Not once did Mary tell her about Gabriel’s visit.  Not once did Mary have a chance to even speak.  This woman who had been in seclusion for the last five months and had spoken very few words now couldn’t even stop talking and rejoicing.  That is what happens when you are filled with the Spirit of God.

Can’t you see why I want to be like Elizabeth?  She knew God was always at work around her.  She knew Emmanuel – God with us.  She recognized God entering her world.

God is at work all around me.  He is still Emmanuel – God with us.  He is present with me.  I want to speak to a world of hurting people “God is here.  He is at work!  I know this!”