We ask for power

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you will be My witnesses both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and even to the remotest part of the earth."
-Acts 1:8, New American Standard Bible

As Jesus was leaving the earth, He told His disciples to share the good news of His sovereign grace. He told the disciples they would not be alone in this. We may not physically see Jesus, God in flesh,  but we know that God sends the Holy Spirit to believers to guide us. The Holy Spirit has power, because the Spirit is a part of who God is. The thing about our own power is that it is not perfect or strong when we compare it to God's holy and almighty power.

Luke continues in Acts to explain how the Holy Spirit worked in the lives of disciples committed to sharing Jesus' message. In Acts 8:1b we can read, "And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles." Acts 8:4-5 explains how Philip began sharing His faith, "Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them." In Acts 8:26-39, we can read how God led Philip to share who He was with a eunuch from Ethiopia. You see, God was making things happen. Word of Him and the power of His salvation was being spread across different peoples and communities. What He had instructed the apostles to do, to share His message with the world, was happening before their eyes as they trusted in His power to lead them and speak through them.

Lord, thanks for being there for us, and thank You for the transformation You make in people. Give us faith and power to reach out and share, to share who You are and Your love, to a world in need. Amen.

Devotion based on a guided prayer in the workbook, HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999)

Clip art "Dove in Glasswindow" by Stefanvon Halenbach (openclipart.com)

The Power of the Most High God

"And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God"  (Luke 1:35, ESV).

Just imagine being Mary. Her whole life she had heard the rabbis teach about the Messiah that was to come. I doubt she could have imagined that He would be born to her. What do you think she was thinking when she heard that the power of the Most High would overshadow her? I doubt she had much concept of what that meant. Not only was she scared, but she had to be a bit overwhelmed by it all...and all so sudden. It was the Holy Spirit's power that came on her but obviously His power was what took her through long months of thinking, preparing, praying, and no doubt experiencing all the emotions that go with being pregnant with the Son of the Most High God.

Today, when we accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died for our sins, the Holy Spirit comes on us and stays with us. He guides us in truth, comforts us, show us the way to go, loves on us, counsels us, and is our constant companion. If we have made a commitment to Him, then He is forever there. We may be overwhelmed but all the happenings of life, but we have God's promise that the Holy Spirit will never leave us.

As I write this, I've been shopping all day. I'm not sure what I was thinking to go to the stores in Houston on a Saturday (especially when it was 80 degrees). I was overwhelmed by all the people who were overwhelmed! You would have thought it was Christmas Eve. As I stood in a long line (people speaking other languages in front and behind me), all I was thinking was how hot it was, how long the line was, and how crazy I was to keep standing in it. I should have been thinking how much Jesus loved and died for each one.

I think Mary must have focused on the important things about having the Son of God. I bet she listened to the Holy Spirit and let him help her keep it all in perspective. I pray that you and I both stay focused on what's important this season. I pray we let the power of the Most High God comfort us. I pray we have a "Mary" Christmas day.