Our Scripture reading today is Luke 2:25-27.
Verse 27, "And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,"
In verse 25 we read that Simeon was told that before he died, he would see the Lord Jesus. This promise was given to him by the Holy Ghost. What a wonderful promise this would have been for Simeon.
A challenging statement at the beginning of verse 27 is what was emphasized when I read these verses. "And he came by the Spirit..." Whether it is Brother Simeon in Luke 2 or Brother Smith in Burnaby, we need the leading of the Holy Spirit. Read that statement again - "He came by the Spirit..." Simeon was filled with the Holy Spirit and was allowing the Holy Spirit to guide him where to go and what to do. Quite possibly the greatest need of every day for God's children is to be filled with the Spirit of God. Ephesians 5:18, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be FILLED with the Spirit;" A child of God that is filled with the Spirit will follow the leading of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit will always lead us to obey God's Word.
A daily part of our prayer time should be asking God to empty us of ourselves and fill us with His Spirit. We may have a certain plan for the day, but what we need is HIS plan every day. Let's live this Wednesday by the Holy Spirit!