Daily Reading: Luke chapters 1 thru 4

Key Verses: Luke 1:46-55

This song is often called the Magnificat from the first word of the Latin translation.  Mary's song has often been used as the basis for music and hymns.  There are 15 discernible quotations from the Old Testament in this poem.  This is a clear picture of the amount of the Old Testament that was known and loved in the household where Jesus was reared. 

One thing that stands out in the poem is in verse 48.  At that point, Mary was recognizing and accepting the gift that God had given her.  If she had denied her incredible position, she would have been throwing God's blessing back at Him.  Pride is refusing to accept God's gifts or taking credit for what God has done.  Humility is accepting the gifts and using them to praise and serve God.  Don't deny, belittle or ignore your gifts.  Thank God for them and use them for His glory.

There are 2 profound lessons to be learned from Mary's song of praise.

1.  Mary chose to praise God by using the Old Testament.  She was praising God by His word.  Mary was able to accept her gift cheerfully because she intimately knew God through His Word.

2.  Mary knew that God's gift was a blessing to be used for His glory.  Therefore, she did not treat her gift with indifference as if it were not something special given to her by God.  In the same token, she did not treat her gift as if the gift was something she created and abused it for her own selfish gain.  Instead, she raised Jesus, her gift from God, with humility and helped Him to become the man God wanted Him to be. 

Are you praising and glorifying God by your gifts?  Can you use God's word as a method of praising Him?