Be a Megaphone for God

Mary, the mother of Jesus, declared “My soul exalts the LORD!” after she had learned that she was pregnant with the Son of God.  This verse is the beginning of Mary’s song, the Magnificat, and during Advent it is my favorite on which to meditate. (Luke 1:46)Let’s look at the word “soul”.  In Greek it is psyche (sue-khay), meaning the vital life force within us that connects with the blessedness of eternity.  Our soul is the part of us that we relinquish or “lose” so that we might truly find ourselves in God.And what does Mary’s soul do?  The eternal life force unique to Mary, her soul,  exalts the Lord.  “Exalt” in Greek is megalyno (meg-ah-loon’-oh), which means to make one conspicuous as a result of praise. Mega means to make really big, huge — and that is what Mary wanted to do. She wanted to shine the magnifying glass of her soul on the Heavenly Father and reveal his eternal goodness to all.  She was proclaiming God’s greatness because her Messiah — our Redeemer — had arrived.Picture Mary lifting a megaphone to her lips, and declaring to the community of Nazareth as a 15 year old pregnant girl:“Shout for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done it.” (Isaiah 44:23)“Shout joyfully to the LORD; break forth and sing for joy.” (Ps. 98:4).This is my desire for you during this season— that you would jump at the chance to be conspicuous for the Lord;— that Holy Spirit will impart such joy, such gratitude to youthat you will lift your megaphone and Shout for Joy because Our Lord has DONE IT! In Christ,