Genuine worship

 December 17, 2024

“Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth 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 

Yesterday I said we need to pay attention to the grammar in Mary’s statement. Did you catch it? Her soul magnifies the Lord, but only after her spirit has rejoiced in God her savior. The “has rejoiced” is clear indication that she did so prior to magnifying the Lord. Before we can genuinely worship, we must from the deepest part of us rejoice in the salvation God gives us. If you try to magnify God without first rejoicing in his salvation, your worship is only a caricature of genuine worship because worship is a product of the salvation God brings through Christ.

Next Sunday as you present yourself to the Lord, make sure that deep in your spirit you have already acknowledged and given thanks for the forgiveness and new life Jesus has given you through his incarnation, death, and resurrection.