Leaping For Joy

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy." Luke 1:41-44

I've been thinking about this passage on and off for the last few weeks. I've been thinking about baby John, leaping in the womb when he is near the mother of Jesus. I'm thinking about every day, and how sometimes it seems like we are drawn to particular people for no apparent reason. Did you ever think about that? When you are in a crowded room of people, what is it that draws you to particular people? Or, what is it that keeps people on your mind?

"All the believers were one in heart and mind." Acts 4:32

All the believers were one in heart and mind. I believe that holds true to this day. I think that when we ask Jesus to become our Lord and Savior, something happens to us that automatically links us up with other believers. Believers in Christ share a heart and a mind with the One who loves us the most. I have experienced walking into church and seeing a friend, and I can literally feel my spirit leap for joy upon seeing them. Especially when we've been gone for a week or we haven't seen someone in a while. Once we become a believer in Christ, our spirit takes on a whole new personality- it craves fellowship. More than anything, it craves fellowship with God. It craves that time with God, the time we spend in His Presence- most often when we're in a setting of worship. Then it goes a little further, because while we can spend time with God when we're on our own- there is something that is so much more sweeter about spending time with God when you are with fellow believers. And here's why that is:

"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20

When we gather with our fellow believers, Jesus is there also. Our spirits leap for joy in anticipation of spending time with our precious Savior.

It's not even two weeks till Christmas, and I'm thinking about all those people who are out there who don't know the love of God in their life yet. I'm thinking about all those people who have a hole that only God can fill. They want to experience what it is like to have their hearts leap for joy, so they spend their lives trying to fill that hole with as many experiences as they can. As Christmas is upon us, they spend these few weeks shopping for gifts, receiving gifts, thinking that giving the perfect gift can be the answer. When really, the answer is for them to receive the greatest gift of all.

The gift of everlasting life, given only by the one who loves us so.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16