Longing for More

I sat watching Mary give her song of praise through the lens of the television. She recites a song as if from memory and through the screen I can sense a longing in her heart. A longing to BE with her maker. She portrays what the honor of carrying the savior in her heart truly meant to her. 

Mary’s Prophetic Song

46 And Mary sang this song:

    “My soul is ecstatic, overflowing with praises to God!
47 My spirit bursts with joy over my life-giving God![aj]
48 For he set his tender gaze upon me, his lowly servant girl.[ak]
    And from here on, everyone will know
    that I have been favored and blessed.
49 The Mighty One has worked a mighty miracle for me;
    holy is his name!
50 Mercy kisses all who fear him,
    from one generation to the next.[al]
51 Mighty power flows from him
    to scatter all those who walk in pride.
52 Powerful princes he tears from their thrones
    and he lifts up the lowly to take their place.
53 Those who hunger for him will always be filled,[am]
    but the smug and self-satisfied he will send away empty.
54 Because he can never forget to show mercy,
    he has helped his chosen servant, Israel,
55 keeping his promises to Abraham[an]
    and to his descendants forever.”

 Mary, a faithful servant of God, had the Holy Spirit come upon her as the angel Gabriel said and make the son of God within her. She had the Lord abiding with her...in her. She had been waiting, just as many other faithful Jewish followers of God. They were waiting for their SAVIOR and SHE was able to BE with Jesus.

If you have ever carried a baby, the baby becomes one with you. You begin to know it's tendencies, it's longings, it's pains. You begin to follow a "gut" feeling upon any inclination for their needs and concerns. And as the baby is born, you continue that connection outside of the womb. I would venture to say, that gut reaction or intuition is more than that...they are nudges from the Father through the Holy Spirit. Nudges that become a heart connection, and properly nourished become our second nature. 

Waiting is so hard. Waiting encompasses the unknown. And waiting in hope takes an act of faith and love intertwined. Without faith we miss the stepping stones along the way. And without love we loose the hope because there is no connection. Waiting without hope is empty.

I have to admit, my abiding with the Lord has been different lately as in the past few years. I have not devoted the minutes to sitting and listening as I used to. And can I tell you in the midst of my "daily going ons" I have felt a longing in my heart. Not one moved by guilt, but one of waiting and anticipation. As I sat one morning reengaging with God's word I could feel that longing only be encouraged in my heart. All I did was open my Bible. As I sat and read the words of Mary's praise, you can hear her excitement and then she begins to prophesy and empower us. Prophecy is meant to encourage and because she had the Holy Spirit in her she not only was encouraged in HER hope and faith but encouraged millions more in her words...God breathed words. Words that come from no other place than from the depths of God's soul. When I feel that longing I equate that to a hunger and a connection that I have made within my spirit to God's spirit. As Mary's words say "those that hunger for him will always be filled."

As we sit in our advent season, the season of waiting, we feel the anticipation of how Mary felt waiting for her savior to be born. We have the opportunity that so many Jews did not have. We have the opportunity to be with God everyday...because of Jesus. Because his blood was spilled, he came back to life and left the Holy spirit here as our helper...we get the opportunity to have Jesus revealed to us everyday in every way, if we let him.

If you have been part of the family before and need to be encouraged...you need not wait any longer. Jesus was born to give us a second birth. Renew your days in his words and be encouraged. "those who hunger for him, will always be filled."

If you feel like you've never been part of the family...wait no longer! Jesus draws us in and releases the HOPE that we so desperately need to live our day to day.

Mary's words call us into wanting to partake in the most beautiful gift. We are given a second chance - even those of us knowing God but not being with him. Mary reminds us of the honor it is to be part of God's family.

****At the beginning of this post I mentioned I was "watching" Mary read her song of praise. I was watching The Chosen's Christmas episode titled "the Messengers" which you can find on YouTube here beginning at the 1hr 48:00 minute mark. I highly recommend watching the entire story which begins at 1:24:00. And if you want to see it from the shepherd's perspective watch here!

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