Day 10 Advent Devotional | December 13th
Luke 1:46-49 NKJV
And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.
Having a baby is filled with a variety of emotions. There is excitement for the new one to be born, fear of the pain and suffering, the anticipation of finally meeting the baby, and nervousness for all the unknown about to happen. Responding to God’s blessings can really vary from moment to moment. We may feel thankful and grateful in one minute and then filled with fear and anxiety in the next. Think to yourself- how do you respond when faced with the uncertainty of the future?
Mary is just a young girl about to be married. She receives an almost unbelievable message from an angel saying she will be the mother of the greatest man to have ever walked the earth. Her cousin has just told her what a blessing she has been bestowed and is in amazement. Instead of responding with fear, she immediately praises God. She feels humbled at this overwhelming honor and starts to understand what a true blessing God has given her as the role of earthly mother to Jesus.
Christmas should be a time of reflection on the past and anticipation for the future. We can look to Mary’s response as to how we react to the blessings God gives to us. Some blessings may seem big, even scary at times. We could be filled with fear, unsure of how we are to handle such responsibilities. Or, we can model Mary’s reaction by immediately giving praise and thanksgiving to God for loving us so well that He would choose to bless us in every way He does.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for all your grace and kindness. Let me see all the good in the many blessing that you have given to me. Help me not have fear of the future but to rest in the knowledge that You will be with me throughout every circumstance. I am humbled and grateful for all your many blessings. Amen.