The Lord is With You {Week 3}
A Study of Luke 1 & 2
The Lord is with you, exalt Him!
Happy Thanksgiving! What a beautiful passage we have to study on this week of the year that we devote to being thankful and expressing thanks to God and to those around us. Last week, we saw that God was the Giver and this week we will join Mary in exalting Him!
First, let’s read this passage together:
(46) And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, (47) and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. (48) For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. (49) For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name. (50) And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him. (51) He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. (52) He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble. (53) He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed. (54) He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy, (55) as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.” Luke 1:46–55
What a beautiful passage! This may be one of my favorite passages in all of scripture. We see Mary, a young, pregnant virgin, pour forth songs of praise to God as she opens her hands and her heart to receive the life that God has given to her. We also see some powerful concepts and themes that are often not discussed so I invite you to join me in walking through the passage today.
TRUTH #1: Mary’s prayer of praise is an overflow of what was in her heart before she came to this situation
Mary’s praise pours forth from a heart that knows that God is in control and that He loves her. In her verbiage, we see praise and gratitude, not complaint, bitterness, or anger. When Mary’s life was thrown into upheaval with an unplanned pregnancy, we see her response be one of open hands and thanksgiving in praise to the God who created this baby inside her.
Mary’s song of praise also pours forth from her own understanding and knowledge of the scriptures. Her song references stories from of old. Years before, there was another woman who had a pregnancy struggle named Hannah. Hannah had suffered from infertility for years and in 1 Samuel 1 we find her pouring her heart out before the Lord in the temple, begging for a child
God gave Hannah a baby and in 1 Samuel 2 we find Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving to God. As you take a moment to read Hannah’s prayer below, notice the similarities between Mary’s prayer and Hannah’s prayer. Many believe that Mary likely had Hannah’s prayer from of old memorized and those words in her heart poured forth as she prayed her Magnificat. Mary held dear the stories and faithful individuals we still read about in the Bible today.
(1) Then Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord, my mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation. (2) There is no one holy like the Lord, indeed, there is no one besides You, nor is there any rock like our God. (3) Boast no more so very proudly, do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and with Him actions are weighed. (4) The bows of the mighty are shattered, but the feeble gird on strength. (5) Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, but she who has many children languishes. (6) The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. (7) The Lord makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. (8) He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with nobles, and inherit a seat of honor; for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and He set the world on them. (9) He keeps the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; for not by might shall a man prevail. (10) Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered; against them He will thunder in the heavens, the Lord will judge the ends of the earth; and He will give strength to His king, and will exalt the horn of His anointed.” 1 Samuel 2:1–10
Mary’s praise pours forth from a heart that knows that God is in control and that He loves her.
TRUTH #2: Our God is a God of upside downs and underdogs. He works on behalf of the oppressed
The first part of the Magnificat, the part about our soul magnifying and exalting God, is undoubtedly the most quoted section of this passage, but the Magnificat is much more. The Magnificat, spoken by Mary, reminds us of some truths that may be hard for those of us in affluent cultures to accept at times. Our God is a God who loves the lowly and works on their behalf.
Remember the characters of our story. Elizabeth had struggled with barrenness her entire life, something that in her day likely ostracized and belittled her. Mary was an unmarried pregnant woman, an offense punishable by stoning, who was so poor that she and Joseph later were recorded bringing the offering for Jesus that the law reserves for the poor among us (see Luke 2:24). And yet, some of the most powerful words in all of scripture are spoken in this lowly space by these lowly women whom God has exalted. John Piper says it this way, “The only people whose soul can truly magnify the Lord are people like Elizabeth and Mary — people who acknowledge their lowly estate and are overwhelmed by the condescension of the magnificent God.”
We see this concept of God’s holiness expressing itself by exalting the lowly and abasing the haughty and proud throughout the passage. Mary reminds us that He regards the humble (v. 48), the proud are scattered (v. 51), rulers are brought down and humble exalted (v. 52), and the hungry are filled and the rich are sent away empty-handed (v. 53). Hannah tells us the bows of the mighty are shattered but the feeble gird on strength (v. 4), the full are hungry but the hungry are made full (v. 5), the barren have children (v. 5), the poor are made rich and the rich are brought low (v. 7–8), and the mighty on earth will not prevail (v. 9).
Our God loves to exalt the lowly. And at Christmas, we see Him send His own Son into the lowliest of the lowly places. But we know the end of the story. And that God will magnify this Son born into lowliness.
Our God loves to exalt the lowly.
TRUTH #3: We are called to magnify, exalt, and rejoice in God with our soul and spirit
As Mary looked past her own troubling circumstances and exalted God, we, too, are called to praise and exalt Him. So, today, I present three challenges to you. You can tackle them all this week or come back to them over the Christmas season!
3 Thankfulness Challenges for this Thanksgiving
- Start a gratitude journal
Not long ago, I was challenged by someone to start a gratitude journal. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fairly resistant to these type things. But, I did it. At first I began with pen and paper, but I chose to switch to digital journaling because I wanted to be able to stop wherever I was throughout the day and add things to my list. I found a gratitude journaling app that has worked well.
2020 has been a tough year. I don’t think I’m alone in this. I have had plenty to complain about as I struggle through. But there is also always something to be thankful for. Maybe it is the ability to get out of bed in the morning, enjoy some coffee, see the sunshine, feel the breeze, have friends, be able to serve someone, go for a walk or drive, visit a store, online shop. Other days I focused on the people around me. I am blessed to have four siblings, two parents, and four grandparents that all love Jesus (three of those grandparents are now with Jesus but their legacy lives on). I have two beautiful children and a husband who loves me and loves Jesus. Even if these are not the same things you can script in your own gratitude journaling, I guarantee you there are many things you can be thankful for today.
So, I encourage you to start a journal. Use an app, or a notepad on your phone, or a pen and paper journal and just get started. Some people like to write 3 things each day before bed. For me, I like to have a running list. Some days I put multiple things on there as the day goes and some days it is less and I’m OK with that.
Yesterday I was struggling with feeling overwhelmed and having trouble focusing on anything but the negative. I sat down with my list and just started adding items. I wrote about 15–20 things down that I was thankful for — things that had happened in the past week and things that had happened that day. Doing this really helped my mood and I was able to focus on life with a grateful heart.
2. Pray through scripture
“How do we pray?” This is a question even Jesus’ disciples asked Him. I know that prayer is a conversation between myself and God, but how do I converse with Him? What’s appropriate or good to say and do? And how do I pray when my mind is so full and I cannot focus?
Something I have found extremely helpful is to use the scriptures to help guide my prayers. In scripture, we have examples of those who have gone before us and recorded their prayers to God.
This week, take some time to pray scripture to the Lord. Two great places to start are the two passages above, Mary’s prayer and Hannah’s prayer. As you read these passages, turn them into a prayer to the Lord. Include ways He has blessed you when Mary or Hannah mention God’s blessings on themselves or His people. Praise God for His work in your family when they discuss His work through the generations.
Other wonderful scriptures to pray through (goodness wouldn’t this be a cool “new year’s resolution?”):
- The Psalms (all of them!)
- Psalm 139 (this was one of my first passages to pray through like this and it was life changing)
- The Lord’s prayer
3. Declare His praise to others
Our pastor reminded us on Sunday that we have a public faith. We are called to share and defend our faith. As Mary knew scripture and the faithfulness of God, we, too, are called to declare God’s praise to others. Praising God instead of complaining is a way that we as Christians shine the light of Christ for the world.
Exalting and praising God publicly takes boldness. It takes courage and does not come naturally. Pray for boldness and courage to show Jesus to the world around you.
“My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”
