5 DECEMBER 2023

 

God

“My soul exalts the Lord.” (Luke 1:46)

What brings joy to your heart?

I can almost guarantee that none of you reading this would say “surrendering to someone or something makes me deliriously happy!” The whole notion of surrender conjures up a negative picture in our minds, that we have been forced into doing something against our will. Even the dictionary defines surrender as “to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress.”

Surrender is not viewed favourably by most people.

This was not the case for Mary!

As we have seen, Mary’s response to the angel’s announcement that she had been chosen by God to bear the Messiah was one of total surrender, despite the cost to her personally.

We must never minimise the significance of Mary’s choice here.
Years ago, one of my lecturers made the profound observation that God would not have forced Mary to be the mother of Jesus – she had to willingly choose to submit to His will.

I wonder if the angels watching on in Heaven held their breath, waiting for Mary’s answer to Gabriel’s announcement?
I can imagine all of Heaven erupting into praise and joy at her response, knowing that the next step in God’s plan of salvation had been taken.

Surrender certainly brought joy to Mary’s heart.

“My soul exalts the Lord…” the word means to enlarge, make great, or magnify and Eugene Peterson captures the joyful exhilaration of Mary’s heart through his paraphrase of Luke 1:46:

“I’m bursting with God-news;
I’m dancing the song of my Saviour God.”

When Mary yielded herself to God’s will, she didn’t have all her questions answered, but she did know she could completely trust the One she was surrendering to, and this filled her heart with wonder and praise for God.

What brings joy to your heart?

Surrender to God is the surprising key that will unlock it for you!

Read Luke 1:46-50 slowly and ask God to fill your own heart with joy this Christmas.