Mary's Heart

This morning I was reading the Magnificat, Mary's song to the Lord after hearing affirmation that she will give birth to the awaited Messiah.

Just before her song, her cousin Elizabeth says, "'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!'" (Luke 1:42-45).

Elizabeth's proclamation shows what status was now bestowed upon Mary as the mother of the Lord. Mary is called blessed, and Elizabeth even wonders how she deserves to have a visit from this prestigious person.

But none of this has gone to Mary's head. Where she could have walked a little taller, stood a little prouder, she instead keeps her posture humble before the Lord. 

The beginning of her song is:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for He has been mindful
of the humble state of His servant" (Luke 1:46-48).

I broke this down in my prayer journal this morning to make this more personal to me.  After each phrase, I wrote in parentheses my own prayer that echoed Mary's but was personal to me.  For example, "My soul glorifies the Lord" (I want to glorify you, Lord, in all I do.  Help me reflect you.  Help me be intentional in my time and actions).  I had heard to do this with the Psalms to deepen my prayer life, and I thought it would work here, too. It helped me relate more to the hugeness of Mary's humility in the face of her circumstances.

I am so encouraged by Mary's humble heart.  She maintains a focus on the the priorities of God's glory, God's saving grace, God's careful tending to His people, and her own reflection of His greatness.

"From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is His name" (Luke 1:48-49).  She recognizes that her "fame" (for lack of a better word) is not for anything she did; it is all because of what the Mighty One did for her.

And what He did for her He also did for all of us.  He has done great things for us...Holy is His name.