“And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.’“
Luke 1:46-49
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DECEMBER 2, 2024
What comes to mind when you hear the word “magnify”? For me, images of microscopes and magnifying glasses pop into my head. I think of devices created to make small objects appear bigger. Perhaps this is why I once found Mary’s word choice in Luke 1:46 a bit odd.
Mary begins her famous song of praise with the phrase, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” It seemed such an odd phrase to me. Isn’t God already the greatest? There is nothing and no one greater than He is. Why would anyone need to make Him look even bigger?
But the truth is that while God is, in fact, far greater than we can fully comprehend, our view of God is much too small. We doubt His love, His faithfulness, or His ability to care for us. We find ourselves living as though everything depends on us, or we look to other things to provide security and satisfy our longings.
This is where Mary’s song helps us. In this passage, she glorifies God, praising Him for the wonderful things He has already done and the magnificent things He will do. She magnifies God’s importance, making our great God look as big as He really is.
Mary’s view of God is big because she trusts God and takes Him at His word. She believes He is faithful and will keep His promises. Dwelling on God’s greatness fills her with joy so great that it shines through in her song of praise.
Like Mary, let us magnify our God and remember how wonderful He is. Let us rejoice in our wonderful Savior who has done great things for us. Holy is His name!
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- Are there ways that your view of God is too small?
- Why do you think we have a tendency to view God as smaller than He is?
- How can you magnify God today?
Church Reading Plan: Micah 7; Luke 16