Holy Spirit Filled

Have you been filled? Do you know what it is like to be filled to the point of overflowing? Have there been times when you have eaten too much? Have you had that same feeling from the Holy Spirit?

Most of us can relate to eating too much. This is especially true on holiday’s such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. We want to have a taste of almost everything laid out on the table, including all the desserts.

Being filled by the Holy Spirit can have a similar feeling to it. When we eat too much we feel as though we will burst. When the Holy Spirit fills we may overflow with the goodness being poured within us.

The apostles certainly knew what it was like to be filled to the point of overflowing. They began speaking in languages they didn’t know. If you can imagine it, the Holy Spirit gifted them with an ability to do something they were incapable of just a few moments before.

Perhaps the closest we can relate to it is the adrenaline that can come over us when a loved one is in danger. There are reports of people who have lifted a car off a trapped loved one. They could not normally do that. However, when the adrenaline kicks in, the impossible becomes possible. The Holy Spirit makes the impossible possible in our lives, even today. We merely need to ask and believe, then wait for the Holy Spirit to gift it to us according to God’s will.

I pray we all seek to be filled by the Holy Spirit. I pray we ask the Holy Spirit to do the impossible. I pray each one of us believe the Holy Spirit can and will overflow us according to God’s will. Be filled by the Holy Spirit. Accept him into your life. Allow him to guide you. Allow him to take over your life.

Acts 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

God’s Purpose

What are your talents? What are your skills? What are your abilities? Have you taken time to assess them? Have you determined how you will use them? Are you allowing some of your talents, skills, and abilities to go unused? Do you know each of them are gift?

We all have talents, skills, and abilities, whether we think we do or not. We may acknowledge them. We may believe ours are not as good as others. We may even be jealous of the talents, skills, and abilities others have. We may long to have different gifts.

When we are not satisfied with the talents, skills, and abilities we have been given, we grumble against God. More specifically, we grumble against the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit distributes these gifts as he chooses (1 Corinthians 12:11). He grants these gifts for a reason, for a purpose. Each person receives gifts to be used to carry out God’s plan. Therefore, when we moan and groan about not having the gifts that others have, we grumble against the Holy Spirit.

In the same way, when we do not use our gifts, we are being rebellious children. Each gift is given to be used to accomplish God’s plan. Not using our gift for the purpose it was given is being disobedient. What are we to do?

The key to being obedient to God is opening our eyes, seeing the gifts he has given us, and being willing to use them for his purpose. We are given different gifts, but we all serve the same Lord. It is the same God who has decided to distribute gifts as he sees fit. We should accept his gifts and put them to good use.

I pray we all assess our talents, skills, and abilities. I pray we are thankful for the gifts we have received. I pray each one of us will use our gifts for the purpose God gave them to us. Know your talents. Know your skills. Know your abilities. Use them according to God’s plan. Use them for God’s purpose.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.

God’s Plan Fulfilled

Do you like to plan for the future? How far do you plan ahead? Have you gone through the exercise some planners teach, meaning to plan the next five to ten years? What if you were told about things that would happen in twenty years? Do you believe it would be beneficial?

We like to plan things out. We develop schedules for our family vacations. We set aside a certain amount of money each month for our retirement. We plan how we will raise our children. Some of our plans are written down and others are simply done in our heads.

Our plans may or may not work out. In fact, what I have found over many years of making plans is they are often adjusted along the way. Something happens that requires us to change our plans, even if minutely. When I was a Marine, we used to say that war plans are only valid until the first shot if fired.

But God’s plans go just as he designed them. God informed the prophet Joel through his Holy Spirit that he was going to pour out his Holy Spirit on everyone in the future. Though he did not give Joel the timeline, he provided him the prophecy hundreds of years before Jesus Christ was born. Jesus, in turn, restated it to the apostles.

On Pentecost, God fulfilled that promise and continues to fulfill it today. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are gifted the Holy Spirit. He has been provided to guide us in our lives as we choose to follow Jesus by teaching us, revealing God’s plan to us, and speaking on our behalf through prayer. What are we to do? Reach out to the Holy Spirit, listen for him, and follow the guidance he provides.

I pray we all choose to follow Jesus. I pray we seek out the Holy Spirit for guidance. I pray each one of us will listen to and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we grow in Christ. God’s plans work. God fulfills his promises. The Holy Spirit is given. He provides guidance. Listen for the Holy Spirit. Follow his guidance.

Joel 2:28-29

Then afterward 

I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; 

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, 

your old men shall dream dreams, 

and your young men shall see visions. 

Even on the male and female slaves, 

in those days, I will pour out my spirit.

Overcome by the Spirit

Have you been overcome by a seemingly uncontrollable feeling? Have you felt pushed to do something good for someone you would not normally do? Did you chalk it up to a sudden urge? Or did you consider it could be something more powerful than you?

Sometimes we act on impulses. Those impulses can drive some to buy things they don’t need. For others, it may drive them to eat when they are not hungry. Still others may experience an impulse take a walk in the woods. These are examples of our preferences or desires surfacing.

For those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, there is someone else at work in our lives. The Holy Spirit can, and does, work within us. He may provide guidance in a situation we are facing. He may help us better understand the Word of God. He definitely intercedes on our behalf when we pray and do not know what to pray for.

The Holy Spirit also can overtake us and cause us to do something we would not normally do. We see examples in Scripture of him gifting people to speak in languages they did not know. He has given some people prophecy of the future. He caused Paul to go to certain places during his missionary trips.

The Holy Spirit can cause us to step in to pay for a lunch for a stranger. We never know how he will act in our lives. We do know he has been given to us as Jesus promised. We know the Holy Spirit is active in this world and active in believers. As Luke explains it in the book of Acts, we are full of the Spirit, and we may experience an overwhelming dose of him temporarily.

I pray we all know the Holy Spirit is at work in this world. I pray we know he was given as Jesus promised. I pray each one of us increase our awareness of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Be guided by the Holy Spirit. Listen for him to speak. Know that he intercedes for us. Be aware of the Holy Spirit. Know that he is always with you.

Acts 10:44-45 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.

Diversity Given

Do you like variety? Do you like diversity? Or do you prefer the same things over and over? Do you like doing different things on different days? Or do you prefer doing the same thing every day? Have you thought about where your desire for something different comes from?

All of us like to eat something different from meal-to-meal. We do not want to eat the same meal three times a day, seven days a week. We like variety in our meals. We also like to take vacations in different places and have different experiences.

Yet, we like our routines. We likely get up at the same time every morning. We may drive the same route to work and leave our home at the same time. Even if our work is a little different, we want it to be planned and predictable. We become comfortable in our routines and may even depend on them.

When we observe other people, which can be extremely entertaining, we discover every person is different. Even identical twins will be different in some way. Why? God created us that way. Not only is every person different in physical attributes, but also different in their abilities. God gave each of us different gifts…and he did so on purpose.

Diversity in us is how we accomplish so many different tasks. It is why we see multitudes of inventions. Varieties of gifts is required for our churches to function well. We need musicians, preachers, administrators, missionaries, and workers. All these gifts are given by God in order to equip his church to carry out the work he has given it. Therefore, see the other person as valuable in God’s church. See them as being gifted by God for a purpose.

I pray we all learn to enjoy the diversity God has created. I pray we enjoy the varieties of gifts God has given. I pray each one of us will see one another has been purposely gifted by God. Enjoy diversity. Celebrate God’s gifts. See one another as gifted by God. Go about the purpose for which God created you.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.

Meditation

Do you meditate regularly? Do you meditate at all? What does meditation mean to you? Do you think of meditation as something foreign or something only monks do? Do you know that meditation can be just a few minutes? Do you know it can be a frame of mind?

I once thought of meditation as someone sitting cross-legged with their palms facing upward and perhaps fingertips touching. The eyes would be closed, and you might even hum. However, that is not the only way to meditate. Meditation can take many forms.

The Psalmist links meditation to singing. We may find this odd, but should we? Music and singing are important methods for praising God. They can help us focus our minds on him. They can take on an attitude of prayer. Focused prayer is a form of meditation.

Another form of meditation is focusing on Scripture. As we read Scripture, when we do not merely pass over the words but take time to focus on them and seek to understand what God is telling us through it is meditation. Contemplating on a subject is meditation. The Psalmist is seeking to contemplate on the things of God.

We can meditate on the things of God throughout our day. It can be five minutes shortly after we wake up. We can take another five minutes during our lunch break. We can focus on him shortly before going to bed. Whenever we can pause for a few minutes, we can meditate on God. We do not need to sit in any specific position. We need our minds to stop thinking about the world around us and focus on God.

I pray we all set aside time to meditate on God every day. I pray we take a few minutes to seek out the things of God. I pray each one of us will use different methods of meditation to please God. Spend time meditating on God. Spend time in prayer. Spend time contemplating. Seek the things of God.

Psalm 104:33-34

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; 

I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 

May my meditation be pleasing to him, 

for I rejoice in the Lord.

God’s Creativity

Have you ever thought about the number of species there are on this earth? If you had to guess, how many do you think there are? Have you thought that God created them all? What does that tell you about God? Does it indicate to you just how awesome he is?

There are far more species than I ever thought. In fact, there are even more that have yet to be discovered. It is amazing to think that after several thousand years we are still discovering new species on this earth. God has created enough different species to keep us busy for many years to come discovering them.

Depending on which estimate you look at, there are between 3 million and 100 million species on this earth. One estimate believes we have only discovered 22% of them. Another estimate states that 86% of land species and a staggering 91% of water species have yet to be discovered. It is far more than the everyday squirrels, rabbits, dogs, cats, deer, and fish that we normally think of. And God created them all!

Though the Psalmist did not have the advantage of the numerous scientists we have today, he still understood the magnitude of God’s creation. I suggest we take just a moment to think about it ourselves. It may be overwhelming. It may be challenging to do. It will certainly drive home the point that God is far more awesome and creative than we often give him credit for.

Knowing that God has created more species than we have catalogued, far more, provides a glimpse into how awesome God is. It can help put in perspective our place in his creation. To know that he has created millions of species but chooses to be in a personal relationship with us, humans. How can we refuse him reaching out to us?

I pray we all take time to think about God’s creation. I pray we see the awesomeness of God’s creativity. I pray each one of us choose to have a personal relationship with God. See God’s creation. See God’s creativity. Declare God’s awesomeness. Choose a relationship with God.

Psalm 104:24

O Lord, how manifold are your works! 

In wisdom you have made them all; 

the earth is full of your creatures.

Give Your Anxiety to God

Have you humbled yourself before God? Do you submit to him? Do you cast your cares on him? Have you asked God to remove your anxiety? Have you asked him to take your worries? Do you trust that God cares for you?

Humbling ourselves can be hard. After all, we live in a country and a society in which we are repeatedly told to be proud. But humbling ourselves before God brings us to the point of casting our cares on him. We come to the realization that we cannot do it on our own.

When we ask God to remove our fears, worries, and anxiety, he does just that. However, it cannot be mere lip service. It includes us humbling ourselves before him, submitting to him. Doing so places exactly where we need to be.

God cares for us deeply. He wants to remove our fears, worries, and anxiety. He wants us to ask him to do so. He wants us to come to him with a contrite heart. God desires a close, personal relationship with us.

Though humbling ourselves can be difficult, we receive many blessings when we do. When we trust God with our whole heart, we lay all our fears, worries, and anxiety at his feet. God takes care of all of it.

I pray we all humble ourselves before God. I pray we cast our cares on him. I pray each one of us will ask God to take our burdens from us and lift us up on wings like eagles. Humble yourself. Turn your fear over to God. Give God your worries. Give your anxiety to God. Trust God to take care of it.

1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

Humbling Advice

Are you a proud person? Are you proud of your accomplishments? Do you take pride in your knowledge?  Do you take pride in your physical abilities? Do you believe yourself to be better than others? What would it take for you to humble yourself?

Each of us are given certain abilities. We may learn things quickly and gain a lot of knowledge. We may have physical skills that allow us to be very good at specific physical events. Far too often we think of ourselves as being better than others because of our abilities.

I have personally been there. In fact, there are times I still find myself in that situation and thinking that way. I must remind myself that I’m just one of billions on this earth and God loves each one of them. It can be hard to be humble. Especially if we have achieved at a high level. It is even harder when others are touting our abilities or telling us how good we are at something.

The Apostle Peter tells us we are to humble ourselves under God. He says that God will exalt us at the right time. But he isn’t the only one who gives this advice. James gives the same advice (James 4:10). And we can go back the Psalmist who also gives us this advice (Psalm 149:4).

What I have discovered over the years is this…they are right. When I have humbled myself before God, asking him to work through me and submitting to his will, he has exalted me in due time. No, it won’t happen the next moment, overnight, or even the next week. But it does happen. Might I suggest all of us could do a little more humbling of ourselves before God and choose to follow his plan for us.

I pray we all humble ourselves before God. I pray we submit to his will and his plan for our lives. I pray each one of us will choose to follow the advice we find in God’s written word. Humble yourself before God. Know that he will exalt you. Follow the advice of Peter. Follow the advice of James. Follow the advice of the Psalmist.

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time.

God Provides

Do you know people in need? Have you ever encountered and orphan? How many widows do you know? Have you known someone who was left desolate? Do you know someone who has lost everything they own? Have you known someone who was wrongly imprisoned?

I’m sure most of us either currently know of or has known someone who has been in need. We may have been in need ourselves. Having been visited an orphanage several years ago, it breaks your heart to see the young children. It is especially heartbreaking to hear the cries of an infant.

Widows have a different set of needs than orphans, though both have been abandoned in one form or another. A widow may have a retirement and savings to live on. What they lack is companionship.

Those who have lost everything, left desolate have yet another set of needs. They typically need furniture, clothing, food, and a place to stay. But they also need emotional support. The feeling of having lost everything can be crushing.

We have heard stories of someone having been wrongfully imprisoned. But the Psalmist is talking about those who are imprisoned for doing good, those who are following God. It is persecution. Though we may not know of anyone specifically, there are thousands in this situation around the world today.

The Psalmist states that God provides for all these people. However, that provision may not come in this life, rather it is a promise of eternity with God where these situations will no longer exist. We all have eternity to look forward to. In fact, eternity is the only sure thing we can count on.

I pray we all look about us to help those in need. I pray we remember God provides. I pray each one of us continually look forward to an eternity spent with God. Help the needy. Provide companionship. Seek God in all situations. Look forward to eternity. Trust in God.

Psalm 68:5-6

Father of orphans and protector of widows

is God in his holy habitation. 

God gives the desolate a home to live in;

he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, 

but the rebellious live in a parched land.