And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/luk.1.38.KJV

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. Luke 1:46‭-‬55 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/luk.1.46-55.KJV

A Magnificent Song

By Danny Saavedra

“My heart is overflowing with praise of my Lord, my soul is full of joy in God my Savior. For he has deigned to notice me, his humble servant and, after this, all the people who ever shall be will call me the happiest of women! The one who can do all things has done great things for me—oh, holy is his Name! Truly, his mercy rests on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has swept away the high and mighty. He has set kings down from their thrones and lifted up the humble. He has satisfied the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands. Yes, he has helped Israel, his child: he has remembered the mercy that he promised to our forefathers, to Abraham and his sons for evermore!”—Luke 1:46–55 (PHILLIPS)

What’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you? What’s that one event or moment in your life that filled you with so much joy that you simply couldn’t contain yourself? For me, it was finding out that my wife was pregnant with our first child. She actually told me on my birthday a few hours before we were going to have dinner with our closest friends. 

About a year prior, we’d gotten pregnant, but lost the baby. We were scared at first to tell people because of what happened the last time, but this felt different. I truly felt the Lord telling me this was for real. Because of this, we didn’t allow our fear to steal our joy and excitement, so we decided to break the news to our friends that night. 

All my life I’d wanted to be a father, so when the moment finally came, my joy bubbled over, so much so that we named our son Jude, which means praise! And not a day goes by where I don’t praise God with all my heart for the wonderful, kind, energetic, unique, creative, amazing child that is my Jude. 

Today, we’re going to look at one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible, one of the most beautiful collection of words ever written. It’s called The Magnificat; it’s Mary’s song of praise to the Lord. 

Imagine being Mary in this moment. A few days ago, an angel of the Lord comes to you and tells you that you will become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and carry the long-awaited Messiah who was promised to Abraham:

The One who would crush the head of the serpent once and for all

The Seed through whom all families of the earth would be blessed

The King who would sit on the throne of David forever

The Savior who would deliver all mankind

Her response to this shocking news? “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true” (Luke 1:38 NLT). Wow! So, then she packs up and goes to visit her cousin who was also pregnant. And as soon as she greets her, Elizabeth declares through the Spirit that Mary is blessed above all women because she had been chosen to be the mother of the Lord. And this is the moment where we see Mary unable to contain her joy and excitement any longer! She declares, “My heart is overflowing with praise of my Lord, my soul is full of joy in God my Savior.”

If you notice, there are some striking similarities between Mary’s song of praise and the Song of Hannah found in 1 Samuel 2. Regarding this, theologian Alexander MacLaren wrote, “Must the simple village maiden be a poetess because she is the mother of our Lord? What is more likely than that she should cast her emotions into forms so familiar to her, and especially that Hannah’s hymn should color hers? These old psalms provided the mold into which her glowing emotions almost instinctively would run, and the very absence of ‘originality’ in the song favors its genuineness.” Have you ever experienced a moment in your life and immediately a song, psalm, or Bible passage popped into your head that helped you express what you were feeling? That’s very likely what happened here with Mary! She recalled the Song of Hannah and made it personal to express the unfathomable joy, gratitude, and happiness she was feeling.

Friends, at Christmastime, I want to remind you of something: Mary’s Magnificat can be ours, too! It can be the words we sing to the Lord. Just like Mary declared, “The one who can do all things has done great things for me—oh, holy is his Name,” we, too, should be shouting this praise with overflowing, uncontainable joy. Because of Jesus, we can all sing loudly about the great things the Lord has done for us! Every single day, our lives can be a walking, talking, living, breathing Magnificat to our God. 

Take some time today to express your Magnificat to Jesus. Speak it, sing it, or write it down. You can use a deeply significant worship song, Bible passage, or psalm and make it personal. Declare your joy and gratitude to our great God and Father today!

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/isa.12.2.KJV

One would think it is so simple to trust in the Lord as well as wait on him and his way.

I’ve been dealing with my own sort of struggle of understanding, no immediate turn around for some friends (more like family) have been struggling for months. Is there something they need to pray or ask for? Is there something others could do to help or are we missing something? Yet no answers have come forth. Other than to simply pray and ask God to meet their needs. Below is a song that speaks about Trust In The Lord. If you are able to please listen to it.

The song derives from these verses:

Proverbs 3:5-6King James Version

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

I am limited to what I can do. I have to rely on God each time. If, I could I would help in abundance and give all I have. I simply don’t have or make enough to do so. I do what I can when I can. The smallest help is a blessing I know this. It just never seems enough and I think that just comes from a caring and tender heart. A love to help others and care for others.

It’s okay if you can’t do it all and we may not understand why no immediate response. At least none that we can see but there could be an immediate response and we are only seeing it come into play at the moment. We only see through a small window when God sees the bigger picture and is working behind the scenes.

We are weak in flesh and it is okay to feel discouraged and feel helpless. As long as you don’t dwell there and stay there. You brush off the dust and get back up. No matter how many times knocked down, you get back up.

Trust in the Lord even when you don’t have the answers and maybe struggle with other things going on. God hasn’t left you, nor forsaken you. He is working behind the scenes. You can’t see what he is doing and you don’t know his way and plans for you.

Yes, you feel trapped but I promise you it is not forever. I’m sure it feels like it as well. Keep trusting in the Lord and leaning on him.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.5.16.KJV

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; Luke 2:30‭-‬31 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/luk.2.30-31.KJV

And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. 2 Samuel 6:14 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/2sa.6.14.KJV

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. Luke 1:39‭-‬45 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/luk.1.39-45.KJV

The Presence of Jesus

By Danny Saavedra

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, ‘God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.’”—Luke 1:39–45 (NLT)

There’s a great song by Bryan and Katie Torwalt with lyrics that say, “When You walk into the room, everything changes; darkness starts to tremble at the light that You bring. And when You walk into the room every heart starts burning and nothing matters more than just to sit here at Your feet and worship You.” 

Few passages in the Bible fill me with as much emotion as this area of Scripture in Luke 1. Imagine the scene with me for a moment: as soon as the angel Gabriel pronounced to Mary the amazing, miraculous, world-changing news that the long-awaited Messiah was to be born through her, she started packing up to go visit her cousin Elizabeth, whom the angel had informed Mary was also pregnant.

A few days later, she arrived and greeted her cousin, most likely with the customary “Peace be with you.” And as soon as she walked into the room, as soon as Mary’s voice reached Elizabeth’s ears, something miraculous and amazing happened: the baby in her belly “jumped for joy” in her womb. Just at the sound of Mary’s voice, the unborn John who would one day baptize the unborn Jesus, leaped within Elizabeth. Isn’t that amazing?

Regarding this, theologian Matthew Poole noted, “The motion of the child in the womb of the mother . . . is no unusual thing . . . but doubtless this motion was more than ordinary.” It’s likely that Elizabeth had felt John kicking or moving around in her womb before, but not like this, never like this. This was womb worship; it was like David in 2 Samuel 6:14 (NLT), who “danced before the Lord with all his might,” but it took place in Elizabeth’s belly! In that moment, she immediately through the Holy Spirit recognized the cause of the leaping. She knew she was in the presence of the Lord, the Son of God, the Messiah and Redeemer. 

And so, she excitedly exclaimed, “Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?” I love how the New English Translation (NET, emphasis added) of the Bible translates this verse: “And who am I that the mother of my Lord should come and visit me?”

Every time I read this exchange, I’m moved to tears. Can you imagine the feeling Elizabeth must have felt when she realized whose presence she was in, when the Holy Spirit revealed to her It’s Him, He’s here; your Savior and Lord is here in the womb of your cousin!? I’m reminded of Simeon, who, upon seeing Jesus, had the honor of holding the newborn Messiah in his arms, and said, “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations” (Luke 2:30–31 NIV). 

There is a joy beyond description when we experience the presence of Jesus. There is fullness, a peace, an excitement that causes us to break out into celebration and pure, unabashed praise. Chains are broken, scales are removed, healing happens, darkness flees, and the weary find rest. There is nothing else like it in all the world! As believers, we get to live in this reality every single day. 

I pray that each and every one of us remembers this; that we never lose the wonder, awe, and joy of living every moment in the presence of the Lord through the Holy Spirit that is within us. I pray we never take His presence for granted and that we continually, daily receive a fresh filling of His Spirit. 

Just like Mary did during her pregnancy, we carry the presence of God within us everywhere we go. We carry the perfect gift of God inside us, a gift we’ve all been commissioned to share with the world around us! So, what are you doing with it? What is it like when you walk into a room? How do people react when they encounter you, when they hear your voice? Is the tangible presence of the Lord within you evident to them? Is the light of the world shining through your life or have you covered and hidden it? 

Friends, as we approach Christmas, a holiday where festive lights fill our cities, I pray that we who carry the presence of the Redeemer within us would shine Christ’s light the brightest, so “that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 NIV).