But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,

As I ponder this passage, I am filled with awe. A prophecy about to be fulfilled less than nine months later. We know nothing about the early life of the Baptist, or even about the details of his ministry. But what we do know is sufficient. HE WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. He was, I believe, the first descendant of Adam and Eve to enter life from birth guided by the Holy Spirit. Jesus began His earthly life as the Son of God become the Son of Man.

Today's readings in the Psalms:

Morning: Psalm 28

Mid-day: 119:9-16

Evening: Psalm 103

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"Voices Together" is available as an annual daily devotional and can be purchased at theFellowship Of Ailbe bookstore.  A weekly edition, formatted as a bi-fold insert and suitable for distribution can be downloaded at https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/52-general-downloads. The next edition is available by Thursday of the prior week.