Scriptures for Today
Luke 1:39–56
And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. 39 39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; 40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. 20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 46 46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. 51 51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 54 54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. 56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
INTRODUCTION
The hardest time to believe God is often the moment before we can see what He is doing. We read a promise in Scripture, but the road ahead still looks confusing.
That is when pride asks for control, proof, and a full explanation. Humility says, “God has spoken, and that is enough.”
Mary stood in that place. She did not know how every detail would unfold, but she believed the word of the Lord.
Then she went to Elisabeth, and God gave clear confirmation. Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, the babe leaped for joy, and she called the unborn Christ “my Lord.”
Luke 1:45
And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
There shall be a performance. God does not speak empty words or forget what He has said.
The question is not whether God will be faithful. The question is whether our hearts will stay humble enough to believe Him before we see the answer.
Mary’s song began with faith before it rose into praise. Her heart magnified the Lord because her heart first trusted the Lord.
I. A HUMBLE HEART BELIEVES WHAT GOD HAS SPOKEN
Luke 1:39–40
39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; 40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
Mary did not sit still with the word she had received. She arose, went with haste, entered the house, and greeted Elisabeth.
The text does not tell us every thought in Mary’s mind. It does show that faith moved her to act upon what God had said.
Luke 1:41–45
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
Mary was blessed because she believed, and the child in her womb was blessed because He was the Lord. Elisabeth did not say Mary would make the promise come true.
She said the Lord would perform what He had spoken. Faith rests in God’s performance.
Zacharias had heard a promise from God, but he doubted.
Luke 1:20
And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
God’s promise did not fail because Zacharias doubted it. His doubt only robbed him of speech until the promise was fulfilled.
Here is the point: faith does not make God faithful. Faith rests in the God who is already faithful.
A child may not understand the route on a long trip, but he can rest when he knows his father is driving. He cannot see every turn, but he knows who holds the wheel.
Mary could not see the whole road ahead. She knew who had spoken, and that was enough.
What has God clearly said in His Word that you are still delaying? Are you waiting for every question to be answered before taking the next faithful step?
When Scripture speaks clearly, do not make obedience wait for complete understanding. Read what God has said, believe it, and do the next thing His Word requires.
Do not judge God’s Word by your circumstances. Judge your circumstances by God’s Word.
Jesus spoke of this kind of faith after Thomas saw Him alive.
John 20:29
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Mary believed before she saw the full result. A humble heart does the same.
When a humble heart believes what God has spoken, its natural response is to magnify what God has done.
II. A HUMBLE HEART MAGNIFIES WHAT GOD HAS DONE
Luke 1:46–48
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Mary did not magnify herself. She magnified the Lord.
To magnify God does not mean we make Him greater. It means we help others see how great He already is.
Mary called God “my Saviour.” She knew she needed God’s saving mercy like every other sinner.
She also called herself His handmaiden and spoke of her low estate. She knew she was blessed, but she knew where the blessing came from.
Simply put, humility does not deny what God has done. Humility gives God the credit.
Luke 1:49–50
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
Look at Mary’s words: He is mighty, holy, and merciful. Her song is full of God.
A window does not create the sunlight that fills a room. It simply lets the light shine through.
No one praises the glass for making the sun. Mary knew she was receiving grace, not producing it.
When God uses you, do not grab the credit. Be the window, not the light.
Did God answer a prayer, help your family, use your work, or let you help someone? Say plainly, “He that is mighty hath done to me great things.”
Pride wants people to notice us. Humility wants people to notice God.
Mary rejoiced in God Himself, not only in what God gave her. Gifts can change, but God does not.
Can you rejoice in God when life is hard? Can you praise His holiness, mercy, and power before the answer comes?
Hannah also praised the Lord after God answered her prayer.
1 Samuel 2:2
There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
Hannah and Mary understood the same truth. God’s gifts should lead us back to God’s greatness.
A humble heart believes His Word, then turns every blessing into praise. But Mary’s song moves beyond what God did for her.
Her praise now turns to the unchanging way God works.
III. A HUMBLE HEART TRUSTS HOW GOD WORKS
Luke 1:51–53
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
God sees more than outward actions. He sees “the imagination” of the heart.
A person may look humble while dreaming about praise, power, control, or revenge. God sees pride before anyone else sees it.
Do not miss this: pride never makes a person safe. The mighty can be brought down, and the person who feels full can be sent away empty.
James gives the same warning and promise.
James 4:6
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
God does not owe His help to the proud. He gives grace to those who stop trusting themselves and depend upon Him.
This does not mean poor people are saved because they are poor. It does not mean rich people are lost because they have money.
Mary shows us the danger of a heart that thinks it needs nothing. The hungry are filled because they know they need what God gives.
A person carrying two armfuls cannot receive a gift until he puts something down. His hands are full, but they are not ready to receive.
What are you holding so tightly that you will not depend upon God? Is it your plans, pride, money, strength, or need to be right?
Put it down. Come to God with empty hands.
Luke 1:54–56
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. 56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
“Holpen” means helped. God was helping His servant Israel because He remembered His mercy and kept His promise.
God did not remember because He had forgotten. He remembered by acting upon what He had promised long before.
The promise went back to Abraham, and Scripture tells us who that promised seed is.
Galatians 3:16
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
The child in Mary’s womb was not only part of her story. He was the promised Christ, the Lord, and the Saviour.
God had spoken, and now God was performing. Centuries had passed, but His mercy had not failed.
Here is what God is saying: delay is not failure. God may work in ways we do not expect, but He never breaks His Word.
Mary stayed about three months and returned home. After the song, she went back to the life God had given her.
Real humility is not only something we sing about. It changes how we live when the song is over.
CONCLUSION
Mary’s song leaves us with a choice. We can come before God full of ourselves, or we can come before Him with humble, empty hands.
The proud may feel strong and secure, but God scatters the proud in their hearts. The hungry know their need, and God fills them with good things.
Stop demanding that God show you the whole road before you believe His Word. When Scripture is clear, take the next faithful step and trust the God who knows every turn.
When God blesses you, do not hold tightly to the credit. Be the window, not the light, and let people see His mercy, power, and faithfulness.
Search your heart for the pride no one else can see. Put down the need to be noticed, praised, obeyed, or proven right.
Come before God admitting that you need His wisdom, strength, and mercy. A humble heart does not pretend to be full.
Mary rejoiced in “God my Saviour.” Jesus Christ is still the only Saviour.
Eternal life is not earned by humility, obedience, baptism, prayer, or religious work. It is received by believing on Jesus Christ.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God has not forgotten His Word. He has not used up His mercy, and He has not lost the power to perform what He has promised.
A humble heart believes God, magnifies God, and leaves the performance to God.
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