Devotion for December 14, 2021

Luke 1:46b-55
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” 

In recent years my eyes have begun the process of failing me. It’s been a gradual pace which was remedied by reading glasses, but we are now at the point of needing progressive glasses and decent light to read a menu. Yes, I’m that guy that will turn my phone’s flashlight on at a nice restaurant. It is either that or take a chance setting a menu on fire by the candle.

Magnification is my issue. I can still see things far away very clearly, but that which is close, not so well. I wonder if this is anyone else’s struggle when it comes to faith. This song starts out with the line, “my soul magnifies the Lord.” Busy schedules, information overload, constant calls for outrage, and COVID among other things has been a gradual process of making it hard for my soul to see the Lord, much less magnify it. As we experience the waiting of Advent, the season of Christmas may we find ourselves being reminded of what the Lord has done and what we are to magnify through our own souls. Perhaps you’ll join me in putting our phones away and getting our souls close to the Christ candle so that we may be set on fire.