Love Comes Near: An Advent Bible Study, Dec. 11th Read Luke 1:46-56 Write Luke 1:49 Luke 1:49 -- "'for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.'" ----- "Mary may be young. But, she gets it. In this passage, called 'Mary's Song' or 'The Magnificat', her overwhelming joy and her profound praise are evidence that God knew what he was doing when he chose this girl. "'Mary's Song' begins with thankfulness. List all the ways Mary gives thanks in verses 46-49." * Her spirit has rejoiced in God * God has regarded the lowliness of his servant * she is grateful that for generations she will be called blessed * she is grateful that God has done great things for her ----- "The second part of her song talks about what her son's birth will mean for believing Israelites. "List the blessings Mary states Jesus' birth will bring in verses 50-55." * His mercy is for those who fear him * He shows strength and scatters the proud * He has brought down the powerful and lifted up the lowly * He has filled the hungry and sent the rich away empty * He has helped his servant Israel, according to the promise he has made to her ancestors, to Abraham and his descendents forever. ----- "Love Comes Near "God chooses unlikely people. Unlikely, but available. Mary and Elizabeth are wonderful examples of this in the Christmas story. Both of the women also ex- hibit great humility. "Elizabeth says, 'And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?' (Luke 1:43). Mary says, '... he has looked on the humble estate of his servant ...' (v. 48) "As Mary senses His nearness, her heart is overwhelmed with joy. She has no ego to crowd out her magnificent God. "Read Proverbs 29:23 and James 4:10 "We make room for God, when we get out of the way. "In what ways are you proud? How can you get out of the way and how might God use you if you did? What joy might you experience?" I am not sure in what ways I am proud. I don't take care of my appearance very well. When I get a haircut and wear clean clothes, I am I suppose a little proud of my appearance. I am proud to have Jamie Moore as my girl- friend, and am glad that I can do what I can to provide for us. I don't know that I see any of these ways of being proud as getting in the way of making room for God. I am proud of my abilities with computers, and keep myself busy on one for a lot of my time. Perhaps I spend more time on my computer than I do in relating to God. ----- "When we make much of our lives, of our own accomplishments, we cannot fully grasp the greatness of our God or experience the fullness of his joy."