Pastor Mike Chat August 21 2024

Wednesday August 21
Mary’s Hopeful Joy
Luke 1:46-56
46 And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever."
56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
In Luke 1:46-56, Mary is singing a divine song of joy as she shares with Elizabeth the wonderful news that she is miraculously pregnant with the Messiah! Elizabeth is rejoicing, John is “leaping for joy” in Elizabeth’s womb (v. 44), and Mary joins them with her praise to the Lord! Mary is experiencing spiritual joy because her “spirit was rejoicing”. She had joy “in God” (v. 47). She had salvation joy because she acknowledged “God as her Savior (v. 47). She has praiseful joy and “magnify the Lord” (v. 46). In verse 48, Mary expresses her grateful joy, because she recognized it was God who “regarded the lowly state of His maidservant.”
Today in verse 48, we will be looking at Mary’s hopeful joy. “For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.” Mary was blessed indeed, and blessed down through the generations, all because she believed the message of the angel and submitted to the will of God! Remember her response in verse 38, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."
What a tremendous lesson for us today. Mary left a message of hopeful joy for generations to come because of her faith and humility in submitting her heart, body, and soul to the Lord! Think about it! We called her “blessed” today because she bore in her body the very person of God in the baby Jesus! My friend, when we believed and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Bible teaches that our bodies became the and dwelling place of God on earth. “… Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27)
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.” 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 reminds us that we have the precious treasure of Jesus Christ in our bodies of clay: “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
This passage goes on to encourage us that Jesus Christ can be now seen and experienced by those around us as they watch our hopeful and godly response as we go through very difficult situations in our lives. “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-11)
Remember what was said about the Proverbs 31 woman who lived her life for God and others! “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31:28-30)
Psalm 78:3-7 reminds us of our responsibility to leave our hope and faith in God to the future generations! The psalmist said that they would speak of the “things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done…that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments”
Are you leaving hopeful joy to your children and grandchildren for generations to come?
God bless!

[@houstondeweese6737]

Great message and the Grooms family have such a powerful Testimony for The Glory of God, and so grateful that God allowed our paths to cross,
Too many to mention, but Wow, how many names written in The Lambs Book of Life because of the Seed falling on the good ground.
You all have made investments that no other can compare.
Thank you for giving to The Lord.