Joy

Kelly posted this the other day that reminded me of an article I read during my media fast. It was in Today's Christian Woman, a magazine I had picked up at the Christian Supply Store. This issue had several entries about Joy and Hope, both things I was wanting to have more of in my life, so I bought it and read all the articles. One in particular stood out to me, as it really seemed to speak to my heart.
It was titled "Slower than Christmas, waiting for promises to become realities"
Here is a portion of it that I just loved:

Magnifying God's Promises
Waiting is a key component of faith. Virtually every divine covenant in Scripture has time built into it, and believers must wait for God's promises to be fulfilled. Waiting effectively, continuing to anticipate future joy throughout years or even whole lifetimes or generations of often joyless struggle, might be seen as synonymous with great faith. As such, Mary's joyful, confident response to her part in God's plan has much to teach us about what Jesus said was the "work of God"-that is, "to believe in the one he has sent" (John 6:29)
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior," Mary sang, in intense anticipation of what this birth would mean for her and her people (Luke 1:46). Later, when the child was born, Luke used the same word, magnify, to describe the joyful reaction of Mary's relatives and neighbors: The Lord, they rejoiced, had "magnified" his mercy through her.
Mary's song is traditionally called "the Magnificat", after the first word in Jerome's Latin translation:magnify. It's a rare word in Scripture and perfectly captures the essence of Mary's faith. Rather than focus on her current situation or encroaching difficulties, she peered deeply into the past and into the equally distant future to see God's promised joy up close. Despite centuries of waiting; despite the hunger, hate, and disenfranchisement experienced by God's people; despite Mary's own fears and worries, she didn't give up in despair. Rather, she magnified God's promises -she enlarged and intensified and amplified them in her mind- and then stepped ecstatically into hope.
Hope - the magnification of Scriptural promises into believable realities - is the instrument that connects longing with joy and makes waiting bearable. It is also, according to Hebrews 11:1, the crux of faith. Like faith, though, hope takes effort, especially when we face difficulty. We operate in the present moment and are likely to be distracted by current problems and concerns. Through hope, though, we look behind and before us, focusing our attention not only on the old promises but on the trustworthiness of the Promiser and on the evidence - so easily overlooked-that what one hopes for might actually be coming to pass.
*****
Mary waited purposefully. She not only submitted to God's will, but examined her situation, as through a magnifying glass, in search of God's ancient promises. Faced with difficulty and confusion, she peered closer, looking for joy- and she found it.

That was written by Patty Kirk.


Isn't it inspiring????
Happy Friday all.