As I drove away with a full tank of petrol and a hefty hit to the credit card, I couldn’t help but reflect on my suddenly lighter feelings. No longer was I keeping an anxious eye on the gauge, or trying to reduce my petrol consumption by not accelerating wildly (not that that is ever really possible on Guernsey with a 35mph speed limit) and then braking sharply. Instead, I was liberated to drive further afield to do some errands I had been putting off for a couple of weeks. I felt confident that I could achieve what needed to be done. I felt quite carefree and content.
It made me realise how I feel when I am ‘filled up’ with the Holy Spirit rather than petroleum spirit.
I also started thinking of various people in the Bible who God had ‘filled’, and what the effect was on them. As I considered their lives, I asked myself these questions:
What did he/she do?
How did such an action fill him/her?
Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son.
2 Samuel 9 One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked.
“Yes sir, I am,” Ziba replied.
3 The king then asked him, “Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.”
Ziba replied, “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
“In Lo-debar,” Ziba told him, “at the home of Makir son of Ammiel.”
5 So David sent for him and brought him from Makir’s home. 6 His name was Mephibosheth[a]; he was Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, “Greetings, Mephibosheth.”
Mephibosheth replied, “I am your servant.”
7 “Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!”
.... 11 And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David’s table,[c] like one of the king’s own sons..... 13 And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king’s table.
Mephibosheth did nothing but was ‘filled’ not only with actual food, but also with the knowledge of the king’s acceptance.
David extended grace and was ‘filled’ with the knowledge that he had kept his word to his friend Jonathan.
What did he do?
How did such an action fill him?
Elijah
1 Kings 19 3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. 4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!” 6 He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
7 Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai,[a] the mountain of God. 9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night.
Elijah did nothing, but was filled with literal food which gave him the strength to continue his journey. The gift of food also encouraged him that the Lord was caring for him and had not abandoned him.
What did they do?
How did such an action fill them?
The Israelites
Nehemiah 9:24-26 New Living Translation (NLT)
24 “They went in and took possession of the land. You subdued whole nations before them. Even the Canaanites, who inhabited the land, were powerless! Your people could deal with these nations and their kings as they pleased. 25 Our ancestors captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took over houses full of good things, with cisterns already dug and vineyards and olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate until they were full and grew fat and enjoyed themselves in all your blessings.
The Israelites ‘took possession’ – they obeyed God.
This action gave them everything they needed to live well.
What did they do?
How did such an action fill them?
The crowd following Jesus.
Matthew 14:19-21 New Living Translation (NLT)
19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people.20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. 21 About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!
More than 5000 people were fed, because they obeyed Jesus.
They had more than enough.
What did she do?
How did such an action fill her?
The woman with the alabaster jar.
Mark 14:3-6 New Living Translation (NLT)
3 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating,[a] a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.
4 Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. 5 “It could have been sold for a year’s wages[b] and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.
6 But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me?
She was generous... and filled herself with satisfaction for doing a good thing to Jesus.
What should we do?
How would such an action fill us?
Us
John 6:57-59 New Living Translation (NLT)
57 I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.”
As for my car... well, I still had a couple of litres left in the tank. I could, possibly, have driven the car a little longer. How often do I put off letting God refill me, choosing to run on empty instead? A timely reminder not to put off going to the filling station. To read, or listen to, the Bible. To meet with a friend for prayer. To take a few extra minutes in the morning, or the evening. To pause at lunchtime or another convenient break in the day, perhaps by listening to a worship song. To open myself up and let me be refilled once again.
What is it that fills you up? What really satisfies your soul, renews, refreshes you? When was the last time you felt like that? How long did the feeling last?
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