TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he has promised our ancestors. Luke 1:53-55
Listen: Luke 1
TODAY’S MESSAGE
One of the most dramatic and joy-filled moments in the Bible is when Mary meets Elizabeth. The expectant mother of the Messiah meets the expectant mother of the one who will set the stage for his coming. Elizabeth rejoices, John the Baptist leaps in her womb and Mary breaks forth in song! In this song, called “The Magnificat” (after the first word in the Latin translation meaning “glorifies”), Mary is pointing to God’s mercy for those who are humbly broken and come to him.
By placing her story within the larger story of God’s heart for the humble, Mary focuses on four things God does for those who feel invisible, low and forgotten: He sees them, He lifts them, He fills them and He remembers them. It is a theme that goes back hundreds of years in Israel’s history. Israel’s second king, David, reflected on the same thing when he wrote, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire” (Psalm 40:2). God desires to take people at their lowest, lift them from where they are and use their lives in powerful ways.
Watch the video clip below as Pastor Jeff Manion tells us God wants to do the same for you today. Mary’s song shows us that God comes to your aid when you reach out to him. As he always has—he desires to be your Lifter.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
As we write about filling, gratitude and identity in our journal today, pay close attention to the statement, “Today I feel…” If you completed that sentence with words like “sad, afflicted or ashamed,” right now ask your heavenly Father to lift you up. Pray a prayer like this, “Loving Father, it is no secret to you that these words describe me today. I humbly admit I need your help. Thank you for reminding me that you alone are my Lifter. Please lift me today. Amen.”
If you are having trouble with this, we’d love to talk to you. Send us an email to btw@adabible.org to start a conversation.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
