The angel said to Mary, “Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High,” Luke 1:31-32a CSB

And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, because he has looked with favor on the humble condition of his servant. Luke 1:46-48a CSB

When I was a kid, I was fascinated by a magnifying glass. You could make the smallest thing seem bigger and see all the details. I looked at everything, the fine weave of cloth, the leaves of trees, bugs galore, flowers and grass, and even skin and hair. Have you ever looked through a magnifying glass or a microscope, which lets you see even smaller things?

This month all our devotions are about Christmas. In our first verse for today we see an angel coming to Mary and giving her the good news that she has found favor with God and that she will have a son whom she will name Jesus. He will be called the Son of God. God chooses Mary to be the mother of God’s Son, Jesus! Mary calls herself the Lord’s servant.

In our second verse, Mary is praising God for what He has done. She says that “her soul magnifies the Lord.” We can’t really make God “bigger” than He is, but we can share what He has done for us with others. We can let others look at our wonderful God through us and see all that He has done in our lives. And just like Mary, we can magnify the Lord!

This week as we prepare for Christmas with decorations and gift buying, with food preparations and sending cards, let’s remember to glorify our Lord God. Talk with your parents and ask them to share their stories that “magnify” the Lord. Let’s praise God for His Son, Jesus, sent to earth to save us. Let’s magnify His name as we celebrate Jesus’ birth with everyone.

Blessings and Merry Christmas as we magnify our Lord!