12 Days of Christmas: Day 5
And Mary said,
“My soul exalts the Lord,
and my spirit has begun to rejoice in God my Savior,
because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant.
For from now on all generations will call me blessed,
because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
(Luke 1:46–49)
These verses were sung to the Lord by Mary in response to Elizabeth’s proclamation to her and affirmation of her. Overwhelmed with gratitude for her Savior, Mary glorifies and rejoices in God. We should all take note of her actions! God loves an appreciative heart from His servants.
Moses had one:
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. They said,
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously,
the horse and its rider he has thrown into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.
This is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
(Exodus 15:1–2)
Out of a thankful heart, praise naturally flows. David had one:
The Lord is alive!
My Protector is praiseworthy!
The God who delivers me is exalted as king!
The one true God completely vindicates me;
he makes nations submit to me.
He delivers me from my enemies;
you snatch me away from those who attack me;
you rescue me from violent men.
So I will give you thanks, O Lord, before the nations!
I will sing praises to you.
(2 Samuel 22:47–50)
Nehemiah had one:
Then I said, “Please, O LORD God of heaven, great and awesome God, who keeps his loving covenant with those who love him and obey his commandments, may your ear be attentive and your eyes be open to hear the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you today throughout both day and night on behalf of your servants the Israelites.”
(Nehemiah 1:5–6a)
And we can find many more examples throughout all of the Scripture!
With her affections, emotions, and passions Mary glorifies God. She rejoices with exuberance. She is overcome with gratitude! Out of a thankful heart, praise naturally flows. Are we thankful for “every good and perfect gift” that flows from above? For me, gratitude and praise flow easily when I perceive the outcome to be beneficial for me, but my praise and gratitude are woefully lacking when the benefit is not so obvious. Shame on me! If God is in control (which He is) and if God has my best interest at heart (which He does) should I not embrace with joy whatever He allows into my life, knowing that it is for my good? This is not just a mere thought—this is God’s command:
Present to God a thank offering!
Repay your vows to the Most High!
Whoever presents a thank offering honors me.
To whoever obeys my commands, I will reveal my power to deliver.
(Psalm 50:14, 23)
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name.
(Hebrews 13:15)
I used to wonder why God would call praise sacrificial. Why would it be a sacrifice to praise Him? Now I realize that it is a sacrifice for a broken heart to praise Him; that it takes a sacrifice for a downcast soul to rejoice. Praise flows from the heart no matter what the outcome. When we begin to praise God our spirits begin to lift, our focus begins to shift from ourselves who are powerless to Him who is all powerful.
Jesus’ job description in Isaiah tells us the following:
To strengthen those who mourn in Zion,
by giving them a turban, instead of ashes,
oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning,
a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor.
(Isaiah 61:3)
A garment of praise—perhaps that means it is something we should clothe ourselves with every morning—regardless of our circumstances! Sometimes the praise is simply volitional—an act of our will—and that indeed can seem sacrificial. The twist comes, however, as soon as we begin to praise God. We find ourselves rising above our circumstances and not being overcome by them. Our focus is on Him!
Become More
Out of a thankful heart, praise naturally flows.
As soon as we begin to praise God, we find ourselves rising above our circumstances and not being overcome by them.
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
With all that is within me, praise his holy name!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
Do not forget all his kind deeds!
He is the one who forgives all your sins,
who heals all your diseases,
who delivers your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with his loyal love and compassion,
who satisfies your life with good things,
so your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.Praise the LORD, all that he has made,
in all the regions of his kingdom!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
(Psalm 103:1-5, 22)
Read the Word
Luke 1:46–56
1:46 And Mary said,
“My soul exalts the Lord,
1:47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice in God my Savior,
1:48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant.
For from now on all generations will call me blessed,
1:49 because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
1:50 from generation to generation he is merciful to those who fear him.
1:51 He has demonstrated power with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance of their hearts.
1:52 He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position;
1:53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and has sent the rich away empty.
1:54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy,
1:55 as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
1:56 So Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.