MARYAM

The baby in Elizabeth’s womb ‘leaped’ for joy when Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice. Luke 1:46-55 is Mary’s response.

(excerpt from the common Jewish Bible)

Then Maryam said, “My soul magnifies Adonai ; and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior, who has taken notice of his servant-girl in her humble position. For — imagine it! — from now on, all generations will call me blessed! “The Mighty One has done great things for me! Indeed, his name is holy; and in every generation he has mercy on those who fear him. “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm, routed the secretly proud, brought down rulers from their thrones, raised up the humble, filled the hungry with good things, but sent the rich away empty. “He has taken the part of his servant Isra’el, mindful of the mercy which he promised to our fathers, to Avraham and his seed forever.”

There is an interesting parallel to this experience. Remember Hannah, 1 Samuel ch 2. It is a long prayer of praise, so I shall condense the gist of what Hannah says.

(vs1) Then Hannah prayed; she said: “My heart exults in Adonai ! My dignity has been restored by Adonai ! I can gloat over my enemies, because of my joy at your saving me.

(vs 4&5) The bows of the mighty are broken, while the feeble are armed with strength. The well-fed hire themselves for bread, while those who were hungry hunger no more. The barren woman has borne seven, while the mother of many wastes away.

(vs 10) Adonai will judge the ends of the earth. He will strengthen his king and enhance the power of his anointed.”

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13 : 8. These 2 faithful women were blessed completely by God. There are many perspectives to any incidents. Looking from a standpoint of faith, in both circumstances, these women were insignificant. Hannah was a very unhappy lady who felt unfulfilled in her duty as wife and leader of the household. Mary was born in a poor family from the insignificant town of Nazareth, a poverty stricken village. God intervened in their lives at crucial moments that was pivotal to man’s ultimate salvation. Samuel ushered in the kingdom of Israel, God’s elected nation that He resided in. Jesus ushered in the dawn of the Kingdom of God in the here and now.

Hannah gave her firstborn son’s life to God in love and honor. And we see her actions foreshadow God’s. Hannah’s very name, Hannah means favor or grace. It’s through our Lord Jesus Christ that we have been given favor with God and access to his grace that is able to save our souls.

Mary am, a very ancient Judeo-aramaic name which meant beloved, exalted one, ruling one. God brought about the dawn of His personal presence in each and everyone who puts their faith in Him, through this very young maiden who trusted God with simple faith.

We are living in a very blessed time. There are challenges in every path we take. All of us have varying degrees of concerns daily in our lives. There are some of us with no roof over our heads, no food to feed our family or ourselves, no clothing to keep us warm, no peace of mind free from anxiety and fear. And there are some of us who have financial, emotional and physical worries. There are others who are struggling with being unhappy with how they feel or how their lives are stagnant. Everyone of us, no matter how intense the issues are have great imprints that affect our day to day living. Mary, trusted

God. She didn’t make things complicated. Her faith was simple. God knows our hearts. We can experience God’s grace in our lives by not overthinking everything. He wants us to just believe and trust in Him. Hannah took her concerns to God, and He blessed Her 7 times over. Mary obeyed God’s call and He lifted her above all men and women. We can have this experience in our lives too. Only OUR doubts and fears can separate us from His grace. The Bible is clear about this. Who will separate us from the love of the Messiah? Trouble? Hardship? Persecution? Hunger? Poverty? Danger? War?

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers, neither what exists nor what is coming, neither powers above nor powers below, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which comes to us through the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

So, remember Hannah and Mary, God’s faithful servants whom He exalted above all. They were insignificant, poor in spirit and least among the village. They were of the forgotten and invisible. Yet their faith stood out and was loud enough for God to notice them. We are given these documented evidences to make it clear that God is present at all times, in all ages and in all lives. Only our limitations inhibit God’s presence in all it’s glory being manifest in our lives. Fear of falling limits me from climbing mountains and experiencing the beautiful views from spectacular sceneries. Don’t let our fears and anxieties limit God’s dwelling in your lives. Allow us the opportunity to say ‘my soul magnifies Adonai, and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour. He noticed me, a humble servant.‘

Amen.