Mary’s Song
The Leprosy Mission produces an internal daily devotional guide, The Bridge, for use in offices, hospitals, clinics and projects around the world. Current and former staff and trustees from many countries contribute to the guide. We will share with you contributions made by our staff team.
Mary is in a season of her life where she has a lot that she could be worrying about but rather than worrying, in our reading we find her worshipping. We could do well to learn from the example of Mary to replace worrying with worshiping. It is okay to be concerned about your life, and to make plans for your future. But Jesus says do not worry. You may ask, “Well, if I should not worry, what should I do?” Worship. Take all of that energy and impetus and put it toward worship. Mary does. “And Mary said,” or sang; ultimately this is going to be a song. “‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, 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.’”
Rather than worrying, Mary is worshiping. Worship is what we were made to do. It’s what we all do, all the time. It’s simply the way that it is. And worship starts with God. The God of the Bible, unlike every other god and every other religion, is one God, three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, eternally existing in perfect harmony and communion, sharing all the divine attributes. And the Father, Son and Spirit, they communicate with one another, love one another, honour one another, glorify one another, and serve one another. It is perfect community. They worship, enjoy, celebrate one another, continually. The Bible says we were made in the image and likeness of God, male and female, that all of us are worshipers, we’re unceasing worshipers. What that means is, we give ourselves to, and we live in light of, someone or something. Now, we’re supposed to be worshipers of God. We are supposed to celebrate God and trust God and enjoy God and love God and serve God. Because God is good to us.
But what so often happens is the opposite of worship which is idolatry. We keep worshiping, but we worship people, things, other than God. The Ten Commandments begin with, there is one God, and you worship him alone. If you do this, you don’t break the rest. It changes how we live. It is incredibly practical.
People put celebrities; athletes; sports teams, hobbies, boyfriends or girlfriends, husbands or wives, sons or daughters or grandkids, intellect, reputation or appearance in place of God. We live for them, we get our meaning, our value, our security, our significance, and we worship. But the worship is always in vain because idols always disappoint. Unlike God, they’re not perfect, they’re not selfless, they do not love, they’re not good, and they don’t endure forever. That is why idolaters are always despairing.
Instead we have Jesus to take away our sin and reconcile us to God filling us with the Holy Spirit that we might worship God by the Spirit, through the Son, to the Father. The life of God is connected to us. The life of God is imparted to us so that we can worship God. And that means all of life. With our money, our time, our talent and our treasure, the way we live is to God’s glory for the good of others and our joy.
God wants us to be happy, secure in Him worshippers. Mary is a happy and secure worshiper. Now she has much to be worried about. But rather than worrying, she’s worshiping. Celebrating God, happy in God.