And Mary said,“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. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. -Luke 1:46-49
This week, we have been looking at the topic of the JOY we find as we are in God’s presence.
Joy in suffering as we know Jesus understands our suffering and will use it for good.
Joy in gratitude as we remember the goodness and mercy of God all around us.
Joy in salvation as our Heavenly Father restores us.
Joy in serving as we live our lives for others like Jesus did.
Even knowing much of what the Bible has to say about joy, we still must make a conscious choice if we want to choose to rejoice or not. Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, we can embrace what God allows into our lives and choose to trust in Him or not. As Mary said in the above passage,
“For He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant.”
Mary had the choice to mourn the new state she found herself in when she conceived Jesus as a virgin or to consciously choose to rejoice in who God was and that he was mindful of her. And though she must have dealt with many conflicting feelings and emotions her ultimate choice was in a place of surrender and rejoicing.
Rejoice that God is mindful of you today! God knows you. He sees you. He loves you. He is with you. Rejoice in Him.
And when it is hard to choose joy, remember to sit at His feet. Be in His presence. In His presence, there is fullness of joy. He can restore your joy today.
Today’s Prayer:
God, thank you for all the ways you’ve blessed me throughout my life. Thank you, Jesus, for your example of living for others and finding joy in serving. Thank you for your promises and the hope I can find in coming to you to restore my joy. Help me continue to choose to rejoice in who You are and what you’ve done in my life. In Jesus’s name, amen.