Upon Hearing Her Voice

By Samatha Rodriguez

“At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!’”—Luke 1:39–45 (NIV)

Who do you know who has the most recognizable voice? There’s a sense of excitement and comfort that comes from hearing a familiar voice. Today’s passage depicts an incredible instance like this between Mary and her cousin, Elizabeth, as well as the babies within their wombs. After Mary received the news about Jesus from the angel Gabriel, she went immediately to her cousin’s house. Upon hearing Mary’s voice, Elizabeth’s baby leaped, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit! Then, she blessed Mary for believing the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.

When you encounter Jesus in everyday life, you have an opportunity to decide how to respond. You can respond like Elizabeth, with praise and adoration, or you can respond with ignorance and apathy.

Before Jesus had even fully developed in Mary, His presence within her made her presence recognizable, joyful, grateful, and pleasing to God. What else does that sound like? It’s the same gift we get to carry now as followers of Jesus! When you put your faith in Jesus as your Savior, believing He’s the Son of God who died and resurrected for your sins, you receive the Holy Spirit within you. Ephesians 1:13–14 (NIV, emphasis added) says it like this, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” Now, you get to carry the presence of God, so is your presence in the world reflecting that?

If you’re a believer, the Holy Spirit dwells within you! Yet similar to how chocolate powder can’t saturate milk unless you mix it, the Holy Spirit won’t touch and transform every aspect of your life if you don’t engage with Him, acknowledge and pay attention to Him, and respond to Him. Elizabeth was also filled with the Spirit and overflowed in worship. Not only that, but she sacrificed in her own pregnancy journey to care for Mary in her first trimester of pregnancy (Luke 1:56)! How can you still your heart to hear the voice of Jesus through the Holy Spirit in everyday life, and what will your response be?

Put It To Practice: Pray

Prayer is about talking to God. You can pray anywhere, whether you’re in the car, in your room, or walking in the grocery store! You can pray on your own in quiet or with others. You can pray out loud to God or in written words. You can kneel, sit, walk, you name it, and God will be there to listen and communicate with you. Today, practice prayer by:

1. Asking God to give you ears to hear His voice
2. Taking at least five minutes of silence to just focus on Jesus, repeat a short verse or phrase to Him, and listen

For the Family

Today’s Main Idea: The Holy Spirit lives in me, so I can worship and listen to His voice.

Ask Together:

1. How do you think Elizabeth felt when she heard Mary’s voice and her baby jumped for joy?
2. What’s one way you can listen to or talk with God through the Holy Spirit this week?

Prayer

Thank You, Jesus, for never leaving me! Thank You for giving Your Holy Spirit who dwells within me. I ask You to help me recognize Your voice more in the simplicity of each day. Holy Spirit, I want to be close friends with You. Help me to spend more time with You so I can recognize You guiding me each day. When I hear Your voice, I want to listen, obey, and worship. Amen.