Reading the Word

Luke 1:46–55 (ESV)
46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Understanding and Applying the Word

As Mary reflected on the circumstances she found herself in, she praised God. “My soul magnifies the Lord!” she exclaimed. Here she was, a simple girl who had no wealth or power or fame, but she was going to give birth to the Messiah, the promised Savior. She was going from a nobody to one whom all generations would call blessed. What an amazing thing was taking place in the life of Mary!

We all must give praise to God for how he blesses us. In the grand scheme of things, none of us is of any great account. We live relatively short lives, we have little power or influence in the world, and we will soon be forgotten. However, God has done great and mighty things for us. He gave us his Son, Jesus Christ, to come into the world to be our Savior. Through Jesus, our sins are forgiven and we are reconciled to God. Our lives go from being meaningless to being of great value. Our lives go from short and insignificant to eternal and precious. Let us join with Mary in magnifying our great God, the One who blesses us in so many ways!

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