The Real Mary

Devotional

Day 1: Mary's heart: worshipful surrender to God's plan

You are invited to follow Mary's immediate response to God's announcement: her first movement was worship—an exaltation of the Lord born of honest wonder and swift surrender—recognizing God's holiness and putting His agenda above her own fears and questions. Let this passage move you to a posture of worship before trying to solve or explain your circumstances. [03:44]

Luke 1:46-55 (NASB)
And Mary said:
"My soul exalts the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
And His mercy is upon generation after generation
Toward those who fear Him.
He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
He has put down the rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.
He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his descendants forever."

Reflection: What one decision, fear, or plan are you holding onto that you can surrender to God right now? Write it down, pray for the courage to release it to Him today, and tell one trustworthy person you will be accountable to about that surrender.

Day 2: God's mercy endures generation after generation

Remember that Mary drew from the Psalms as she sang: God’s mercy runs across generations to those who fear Him, and faithfulness is formed in homes that pass Scripture and trust from one season to the next. Consider how your daily habits and family rhythms either pass on or withhold that steady faith. [13:50]

Psalm 103:17-18 (NASB)
But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children's children,
To such as keep His covenant
And to those who remember His precepts to do them.

Reflection: Identify one practical way you will pass on God’s mercy this week (read a Psalm with a child, share a testimony, volunteer at a food ministry); schedule it on your calendar and follow through.

Day 3: Honest admission of need for a Savior

Like Mary—who called God "my Savior"—you are invited to honest confession: acknowledge the reality of your need and the sufficiency of Christ rather than hiding behind good intentions or self-effort; salvation begins with realizing you cannot earn it. [08:39]

Hebrews 5:9 (NASB)
and having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

Reflection: Take five minutes now to name one sin or area where you are trying to "fix" yourself; confess it aloud to God and ask Jesus to be your Savior in that area today. If you cannot pray aloud, write the confession and prayer in your journal.

Day 4: Worship expressed through joyful song and prayer

Scripture links joy and song to genuine worship—when suffering comes, pray; when cheerful, sing praises—making praise a present, embodied response to God's work in life rather than a private checklist. [05:23]

James 5:13 (NASB)
Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray.
Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.

Reflection: If you are struggling today, pray aloud for 3 specific needs for 3 minutes; if you feel joy, choose one praise song and sing it aloud (even if quietly) as an offering to God before the day ends.

Day 5: God's revelation leaves humanity without excuse

The created order proclaims God's glory, and Scripture bears witness—God has given enough light for people to seek and respond; this demands a faithful posture of humility, compassion, and mission as those who know and have been told. [21:25]

Psalm 19 (NASB)
The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I will be acquitted of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

Reflection: List two clear ways God has shown Himself to you personally, then this week initiate one spiritual conversation (a prayer, a testimony, or an invitation) with someone using those examples as your starting point.

Sermon Summary

Christmas isn’t about frantic lists and equal price tags; it’s about the arrival of Christ—God’s long-promised mercy breaking into the ordinary. Opening Luke 1:46–55, I invited us to listen to Mary’s Magnificat and to meet her without the distortions of over-exalting or ignoring her. What shines through is the kind of heart God delights to use: worshipful, honest, humble, faithful, just, compassionate, and anchored in covenant hope. Mary hears the angel’s word, wrestles honestly—“How can this be?”—and then yields: “Whatever You want.” From that surrender springs a song, not fear. Her worship is not a performance; it’s the reflex of a soul that knows God.

Mary calls God “my Savior,” which tells us she understands her need and God’s grace. She calls herself the Lord’s bond-servant, embracing a posture our age resists: my life, gifts, income, future, and reputation are not mine to secure or showcase—they’re His to steward. She knows Scripture well enough that, when pressed, the Psalms spill out of her. That kind of faithfulness isn’t born in a moment; it’s cultivated in long, quiet obediences—even across seasons when heaven seems silent, as it had been for Israel for centuries. Yet she trusts the God who has not forgotten His promises to Abraham, Moses, and David, and she sees in God’s Messiah the fulfillment of them all.

Mary’s song also reshapes our expectations: God scatters the proud, lifts the humble, fills the hungry, and sends the self-satisfied away empty. Justice and compassion are not competing impulses in God; they are the same holy love working themselves out over time. That means our pain is not wasted. God is weaving what we cannot yet trace, and there will be a day when His goodness is unmistakable. The right response now is worship as surrender—trusting Jesus, not ourselves. Not “I’ll try harder and earn it,” but “Lord, save me, lead me, clothe me in Christ’s righteousness.” The invitation is to step into the new covenant where He promises, “Never will I leave you,” and then to keep living that surrender daily—honestly, humbly, faithfully, compassionately—like Mary.

Key Takeaways

1. Worship begins with honest surrender Worship isn’t a mood we chase; it’s the posture of a heart that lets God be God. Mary questioned without unbelief and then yielded herself wholly to His will. Real worship starts where control ends and trust takes over, turning fear into song. [04:38]
2. Needing a Savior changes everything Mary names God “my Savior,” confessing her need and God’s sufficiency. We don’t come to God as basically good people needing a boost; we come as sinners needing rescue. That honesty is the doorway to joy, because grace can only fill empty hands. [07:30]
3. Humility refuses to self-promote Calling herself the Lord’s bond-servant, Mary locates her identity in God’s ownership and care. Humility isn’t self-contempt; it’s self-forgetfulness that magnifies God’s name, not our own. From that posture, obedience becomes privilege rather than price. [09:19]
4. Faithfulness feeds on Scripture memory Mary’s song is laced with Psalms because Scripture was already hidden in her heart. Faith formed in quiet repetition can sing in crisis, even when heaven feels silent. When we stock the soul with God’s Word, hope has language when we need it most. [13:24]
5. God’s justice is slow and sure Mary trusts God to scatter the proud and lift the humble on His timetable, not ours. Waiting doesn’t mean God is absent; it means He is aligning ends we can’t yet see. Hope grows when we let His wisdom, not our clock, rule our expectations. [18:49]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:27] - Christ-mass: celebrating His coming
[02:25] - Meeting Mary beyond extremes
[03:07] - Magnificat reading and prayer
[04:38] - Loving the God we worship
[05:44] - Mary’s joyful yes to God
[07:30] - Mary needs a Savior
[09:19] - Humility of the bond-servant
[13:24] - Faithfulness shaped by Scripture
[14:58] - Hope in God’s silence
[16:16] - God’s justice and timing
[19:14] - God’s compassion for the lowly
[22:51] - Covenant promises fulfilled in Jesus
[24:06] - Worship as surrender, not striving
[31:55] - Invitation to the new covenant

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 1:46–55 (NASB) — 46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, 47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior; 48 for He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed. 49 For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is upon generation after generation Toward those who fear Him. 51 He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered proud men in the thoughts of their hearts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things; And sent away the rich empty-handed. 54 He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.”

Sermon Clips

But in the Bible, when someone calls himself a slave of God, it's a way of saying, He is the absolute master. I have no rights except the rights that come from Him. I have no provision except the provision that comes from Him. I have no value except the value that comes from Him. And I know that flies in the face of this modern self-esteem movement that says believe in yourself, value yourself, see yourselves as more important than others. [00:10:59] (34 seconds) #SurrenderToGod

She's saying when it gets right down to it, God can always be trusted to do what's right. Here is where I believe the enemy attacks the character of God in the life of believers all the time. Why would God do this to me? Is God really good? Yes, he is. Why would God allow this in my life? Why would God allow that diagnosis to come through the umbrella of his protection? He can't be good if he's going to make me go through that. [00:16:25] (33 seconds) #TrustGodsGoodness

How can God be good when that person that was supposed to be managing my money stole it all? How can God be good? And the answer is God is good. You know why? Because he says so. And she says God is going to make things right. There's going to come a day. Hear me say this. There's going to come a day when what the pain you've gone through will make sense. It may not be before we stand in his presence. But it is sure to happen. [00:17:11] (44 seconds) #GodWillMakeItRight

``How do you worship God? The first and most important way to worship God is to admit that he's right and you're a sinner. And then in that realization that he brings to you that you're a sinner and separated from him, you worship him by saying, I believe that you sent your son because you love the world. You're worth enough to me to believe your word. And then you're worshipful when you say to him, I could never be good enough. I could never do enough or work hard enough to ever be worthy. But I believe Jesus is. [00:24:36] (48 seconds) #WorshipThroughRepentance

And believe that if you ask, God will keep his covenant, keep his word, which says, all who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And so you cry out. You say, God, forgive me. I am a sinner. And I deserve to be separated from you. But that's not where I want to be. It's not who I want to be. It's not how I want to be. But I can't fix it. Would you send Jesus to take off my sin and put on me his righteousness? And would you put him in command of my life? And I will follow. [00:25:24] (47 seconds) #CallOnTheLord

She was a woman of honesty. She admitted she needed a Savior. You know, here's the thing. Those of us who are followers of Jesus have had a moment in our lives where we had to make that decision. But here's the question. Do you every day wake up and say, today, I need you to save me just as much as I did that day I first cried out? Honest with God? Or do you play games? We can fool each other, can't we? As far as you know, I'm a nice guy. Ask my kids. I got a different version. [00:26:57] (42 seconds) #DailyNeedForSavior

She's a woman of humility. That honesty and humility run together, don't they? Because if I'm honest about who I am, and if you're honest about who you are, it will humble you really quick. How many of you would say, in the last week, you've had a thought, a word, or a deed you knew was against God's standards? Man, that's honest. But isn't that humbling to have to admit that? And for those of you who did not raise your hand, can I come hang out with you? Because I need that example. [00:27:40] (37 seconds) #HumbleAndHonest

Are you faithful? Are you faithful? You say, again, preacher, you're asking dumb questions of the church. We are here. But faithfulness is about much more than just attendance on Sunday. It's really about more than just coming to a small group to study the Bible together with other believers in a closer relationship than this big crowd affords. It's really about more than coming to pray before we go to the small groups, before we go to worship. [00:28:16] (33 seconds) #FaithfulnessIsDaily

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