“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.'” Luke 1:46, 47
I often wonder if we, as Christians, overlook the significance with which Mary received the word given to her by the angel of the Lord. It was with such fervor and joy that she received, believed and acted out her obedience to the instruction of the Lord. She didn’t require further explanation, more details, a job description or anything else. The Word of the Lord was enough for her. Is it enough for us?
How might our lives be different if we received the instruction of the Lord just as Mary did? Thoughts such as, “angels don’t appear to me,” may be our first roadblock. I have always held the belief that our God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (forever), and if He chooses to send an angel to speak to you or me, that is His prerogative. However, I have a strong inclination that angels do not appear much these days, due in part to hardened hearts of Christians, who wouldn’t believe one if they saw one. Yet, there is a way that God imparts instruction to us each and every day, and, for the most part, we all have access; that is in His precious Word.
Mary received the Word of the Lord from the angel and you and I have been called to receive the Word of the Lord from His Word, the Bible. Just as something came alive in Mary when she received and believed the Word, something will come alive in you when you receive it. When God calls you, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and in order to live out who God has called you to be, you must respond as Mary did, “Let it be done to me as you have said.”
This is a truly supernatural experience that cannot be denied. Friend, we cannot have a head religion, we must have a heart religion. In order to move toward with a heart religion and experience God the way Mary did and live out who we are in Christ, we must learn from her response and respond to God the way she did with these three statements:
- My soul does magnify the Lord: Mary saw no sign of the baby Jesus when she uttered these words. You and I may not see the outward expression of what God is doing in our lives, yet we are called to magnify Him from the very start of our journey
- Holy is His Name: Anything we are called to do, should bring glory to God. He is and always will be Holy. As the angels continually sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy!”
- He has shown His strength: Mary knew that in her darkest hour and when there we no logical reasons for God’s plans, He would show His strength. The same is still true today. When everything seems to be going in the wrong direction, look up, God will reveal Himself to you.
As we prepare for the birthday of our Lord and Savior, we at Community Family Church want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a truly blessed New Year!
And, we’re still saving you a seat, too!
We love y’all
Pastor Tom
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