The Mystery of Inner Joy

How do we find joy in the mysterious unknown. Mary was a young girl between 14 and 16 when she was visited by Gabriel and told that she would be with child through the Holy Spirit. She was betrothed at a very young age and she and Joseph still had months before the marriage process was complete. Because of her youth she was not tainted by man.

Scripture tells us that Mary accepted Gabriel’s announcement and the responsibility that had come with it, even though it would mean being ridiculed and possibly stone. She hoped that Joseph would accept this as well but he was tainted and could not just accept (at first) that Mary was chosen by God. Mary :   


And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And 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 mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”  Luke 1: 46-55

Mary chose to give up every bit of her normal human existence. She became a mother at a very young age but because of the inner joy that was implanted in her entire being, we get the impression that her devotion to God overruled everything else. It is this joy that takes us into the mysterious unknown that bothers so many who do not understand why fully devoted followers of God are as active and at the same time seem so distant in and from the world.

How beautiful it must have been for her to literally have God working inside her. When she opens up with her soul magnifying the Lord she is saying that the Holy Spirit within is working in ways that the Jews of the time would not understand. Certain practices use this as saying that she has an equal place with God but that is completely wrong. Her soul was in tune with the Word because she was filled with the Word and was in a place of complete joy and peace. She knew of God’s Plan for the time through the sacrifice which would return the Word back to God. God was not silent during Jesus time on earth. We see through the New Testament that He was at work daily.

This part of the Gospel shares how the Word was working within her. Mary shares God’s Power in the Scriptures showing how He works in the hearts of man, both believers and unbelievers. It is not fully known if this was passed down to the exact wording or God spoke these words to Paul since Luke was the scribe for him. But this section gives Christians a deeper sense of the  strength, joy, and peace, within us as God works in our lives.

Brothers and Sisters, take heart in the Word and Keep it on your heart. The Word was firmly planted on Mary and provided the example for a fully devoted heart for God. We cannot experience the same as she did but we can come close. Find that inner joy and it will bring the inner peace that comes with knowing God.

In His Loving Arms,

Rob, Servant of God