December Devotions and Doodles – Day 8 (December 8)
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:46-55
And Mary said:
46 My soul praises the greatness of the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 because he has looked with favor
on the humble condition of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,
49 because the Mighty One
has done great things for me,
and his name is holy.
50 His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm;
he has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.
53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he spoke to our ancestors.
December 8 Devotional: Mary’s Song of Praise
I like to sing. A lot. I love to worship! I am a worship leader at my church and even when not on stage, I absolutely love worshiping God in song.
Just like Mary
During this season of pregnancy, Mary is probably overwhelmed with so many feelings. I certainly experienced a million emotions when I was pregnant with my children. It had to be intensified by a massive amount when it followed a visit from an angel declaring a message from God and the knowledge that she was pregnant with the Son of God, the Messiah and Savior of Israel.
Mary’s Response
Her response to all these emotions and amazing occurrences is to turn to God in praise. She lifts up this beautiful song of praise in today’s reading. “My soul praises the greatness of the Lord!” “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior!”
The soul, often related to the mind and emotions, that place that was overwhelmed during her unique pregnancy – Mary chooses to use that soul to praise God and declare how great He is. She is grateful to be chosen for the honor of mother of the Messiah. She is humble. She recounts amazing acts of greatness that God has done for His people throughout generations.
Stir up my soul
In other words, Mary is able to stir up her stir to praise the Lord. She doesn’t get sucked down into a self-centered spiral of emotion and drama. She chooses by an act of her will to lift her soul in worship to the only worthy One.
This reminds me of a couple of verses in 2 Timothy:
6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:6-7
Fear is Easy, Faith Needs Stirring Up
God has laid His hands on Mary’s life and done something incredible through her. She chooses to stir up her faith and her praise through worship. And through that process, we see a young woman who, rather than being consumed by fear, is a powerful example of obedience to God, love for others, and even a sound mind.
But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. Luke 2:19
Mary was a thinker. She doesn’t react immediately, but meditates on what God is doing.
When we worship God in the midst of scary, emotional times, we are stirring up our faith in Him. We are more powerful when we exalt His power. We are more loving when we extol the merciful love of God. We are more sane and thoughtful when we recognize that His thoughts are far above our thoughts.
December 8 – Action Step:
What about you today (December 8)?
Have you been going through something in your life that is scary or emotional? It is tempting to give into the fear-filled thoughts and drown in the emotions. However, it is so much better when we follow Mary’s example to stir up our souls in praise of our God.
Sing a song of praise today! Ring out Christmas bells, celebrating the birth of the Savior! Lift up your soul, recounting the greatness of God and all He has done for you – then feel your spirit begin to rejoice!
Prayer:
Dear God, You are so much greater than we are and have done immeasurably more than we could ever repay for us. Help us to stir up our souls in praise to You today! We love You, Lord! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Drawing Tutorial – December 8: How to Draw Christmas Bells
- Draw a simple ghost shape whose top leans right. The add another one, peeking out from behind it.
- Close the bottom of each ghost with a slightly curved line.
- Add a small half-circle under the center of each of those curved lines.
- Finish off with a loopy bow (see picture) and motion lines.
Click here to check out other posts in this series: December Devotions and Doodles!