Luke 1:46-55

⁴⁶ And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord

⁴⁷ and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

⁴⁸ for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,

⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.

⁵⁰ His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.

⁵¹ He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.

⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful

⁵⁵ to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”

Mary sings this song in joy because God has remembered her. He truly has been mindful of her and she will always be remembered for the privilege of delivering our Lord Jesus into this world. The Lord is mindful of us as well. As the prayer declares, His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Declare that the Mighty One has done great things for us. Take some time to reflect on how God has moved in your life in the past, from rescuing you in times of difficulty to transforming your heart so you want to love others. Thank God for being the Mighty One who performs miracles and extends His mercy to us.

1 Samuel 2:1-10

¹ Then Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

² “There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

³ “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

⁴ “The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

⁵ Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.

⁶ “The LORD brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.

⁷ The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.

⁸ He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.
“For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s;
on them he has set the world.

⁹ He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.
“It is not by strength that one prevails;

¹⁰ those who oppose the LORD will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Hannah sings this prayer after God answers her prayer for a child and she dedicates her son, Samuel, to the Lord. The prayer affirms that the Lord raises up and He also brings down. Hannah is filled with gratitude because of the miracle that God has done, but she is reminded that God is to be truly taken seriously. He is not a “cosmic vending machine” who mechanically answers our prayers. But He is the Lord, and there is no one like Him.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Read this prayer and be reminded that God is mighty and there is no one like Him. He has the power to do all things and He raises up and He brings down. Let’s rejoice in a Lord who not only loves us with His unfailing love but is also strong and mighty.

2 Samuel 22

¹ David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. ² He said:
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

³ my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent people you save me.

⁴ “I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.

⁵ The waves of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

⁶ The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.

⁷ “In my distress I called to the LORD;
I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.

¹⁷ “He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.

¹⁸ He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.

¹⁹ They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.

²⁰ He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

⁴⁷ “The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!

⁴⁸ He is the God who avenges me,
who puts the nations under me,

⁴⁹ who sets me free from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from violent people you rescued me.

⁵⁰ Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.

⁵¹ “He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.”

When David is surrounded by his enemies, especially Saul, he knows he needs help. His troubles are too severe for him to figure out himself. His enemies are too powerful to overcome. And God in His power reaches down from the heavens and rescues David. David responds in praise, acknowledging that it is God who gives him victory over his enemies.Often our first response when encountering difficulty is to try to figure out what we need to do to overcome it. But let’s be like David and be quicker to ask God to save us and deliver us from our troubles.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Take some time today to thank God for being so willing to reach way, way down to where we are and rescue us. Declare that He is our refuge and our fortress.

Isaiah 38:1-22

¹ In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

² Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, ³ “Remember, LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

⁴ Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: ⁵ “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. ⁶ And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.

⁷ ” ‘This is the LORD’s sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: ⁸ I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’ ” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.

⁹ A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

¹⁰ I said, “In the prime of my life
must I go through the gates of death
and be robbed of the rest of my years?”

¹¹ I said, “I will not again see the LORD,
the LORD, in the land of the living;
no longer will I look on my fellow mortals,
or be with those who now dwell in this world.

¹² Like a shepherd’s tent my house
has been pulled down and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled up my life,
and he has cut me off from the loom;
day and night you made an end of me.

¹³ I waited patiently till dawn,
but like a lion he broke all my bones;
day and night you made an end of me.

¹⁴ I cried like a swift or thrush,
I moaned like a mourning dove.
My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens.
I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”

¹⁵ But what can I say?
He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.
I will walk humbly all my years
because of this anguish of my soul.

¹⁶ Lord, by such things people live;
and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
and let me live.

¹⁷ Surely it was for my benefit
that I suffered such anguish.
In your love you kept me
from the pit of destruction;
you have put all my sins
behind your back.

¹⁸ For the grave cannot praise you,
death cannot sing your praise;
those who go down to the pit
cannot hope for your faithfulness.

¹⁹ The living, the living—they praise you,
as I am doing today;
parents tell their children
about your faithfulness.

²⁰ The LORD will save me,
and we will sing with stringed instruments
all the days of our lives
in the temple of the LORD.

²¹ Isaiah had said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”

²² Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign that I will go up to the temple of the LORD?”

Hezekiah in this passage is very sick and will die soon. Even Isaiah, a prophet who truly hears from the Lord, affirms that he will die. Hezekiah prays a desperate prayer to God, that He would remember how Hezekiah has served Him. And God in His mercy hears this prayer and heals Hezekiah. He even delivers Hezekiah’s city from certain destruction at the hands of Assyria, a powerful enemy. Hezekiah is transformed after this experience and honestly shares in verse 17 about how it was for his benefit to suffer “such anguish,” for now his heart has been transformed. He was meant to die but will now live, and this realization of God’s mercy has filled him with praise.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Sometimes God takes us through difficult times so we can remember what life is about. When we are at our lowest, may we see how much we truly need God. And even after He brings us through our difficult situation, may we remember what He has done and continue to praise Him.

Let’s praise God even for taking us through difficult situations so we can see how much we need God. Let’s ask Him to open our eyes more and more so we may see this need.

Psalm 30

¹ I will exalt you, LORD,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

² LORD my God, I called to you for help,
and you healed me.

³ You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
you spared me from going down to the pit.

⁴ Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.

⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.

⁶ When I felt secure, I said,
“I will never be shaken.”

⁷ LORD, when you favored me,
you made my royal mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.

⁸ To you, LORD, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:

⁹ “What is gained if I am silenced,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

¹⁰ Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me;
LORD, be my help.”

¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

¹² that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
LORD my God, I will praise you forever.

Psalm 30 is a psalm about praise. God has responded in His mercy and transforms a hopeless situation into one of victory. The author was previously overconfident in his prosperity and felt he would “never be shaken,” but then God hid His face and everything changed. The author became sick and believed he would die. He called out to God to heal him and save him from death. And God responds in compassion and lifts him out of sickness. The only response is to praise God for what He has done. We often find ourselves thinking similarly - that when things are going well, life seems like it can continue to be good for a while. But then trouble hits and we see how quickly everything can change. How tenuous our circumstances really are! When we are faced with real crisis, all we can do is cry out to God for help and ask Him to rescue us. And God is so faithful that He responds in mercy.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Let’s ask the Lord to help us see how much we need Him, and praise Him for how He always responds when we are in trouble. Praise Him because He lifts up out of the depths and turns our wailing to dancing.