Valleys and Mountains - Advent Devotional Day 23

Scripture
"46 Mary said,
'With all my heart I glorify the Lord!
47 In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.
48 He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.
    Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored
49 because the mighty one has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
50 He shows mercy to everyone,
        from one generation to the next,
        who honors him as God.
51 He has shown strength with his arm.
    He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.
52 He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones
        and lifted up the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away empty-handed.
54 He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
        remembering his mercy,
55 just as he promised to our ancestors,
     to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.'
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned to her home." - Luke 1:46-56

Reflection
In this passage, Mary is glorifying the Lord because he has shown favor in her. The scripture stresses that God will show mercy on the humble, the hungry, the weak and the poor. We all have high and low moments. It is often how we respond in those moments that set us apart from others. When we are at our lowest, we can reach out to God to have mercy on us. When we are on the mountaintops of life, that is when we need to remember to sing God’s praises and lean into how we can serve others, just as Mary did. BUT - no matter where we are in life, in valleys or on mountaintops, God is continually seeking to have a relationship with us. I can’t think of a single thing that gives me more HOPE than that.

Prayer
Dear God, thank you for continually fighting for us even when we may not fight for ourselves. You are our HOPE in our darkest moments and our cheerleader when we are on the mountaintop. We pray that we can be more like you through all these stages of life. In your name we pray, Amen.