Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 204 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Christmas Hope: The Story of Mary #2
Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 204 of our Trek, and this week we started on a series of stories that we will study between now and Christmas as we hike the Christmas Trail to learn about some of the key players in the Christmas story. It is my hope that we will learn from these stories that bring hope to the world, not only during Christmas but each day of the year. Each story will cover two days and for today, we will explore the second part of the story titled Christmas Hope: The Story of Mary. These stories are adapted from lessons taught originally by Raymond van Plesten. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.
We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. We were blessed to be able to attend our local fellowship of believers in Charlotte this week. It was a special Christmas service, and we are so glad that we were in town. It has been several months since we were able to attend two weeks in a row.
With Christmas quickly approaching, we will spend our time together reflecting on the true stories surrounding the original Christmas. Today we will explore the second part of our story…
Christmas Hope: The Story of Mary #2
There are three parts to this story of hope that Mary had. Yesterday we covered Mary’s Hossana, which was her song of praise called The Magnificant. I will read it again today to tie in yesterday’s hike.
· The Magnificant: Mary’s Song of Praise
Mary responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Today we want to focus on Mary’s humility and her hope.
Mary’s Humility
There are three key elements to humility. Do you know what they are?
First, realize you’re not in charge.
Matthew 6:27 – Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
There are some things you can change. There are many things you can’t change. What you can’t change, put in God’s hands.
Second, accept your position as servant.
Matthew 23:11 –The greatest among you must be a servant.
Third, submit yourself to God.
James 4:6-7 – And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Mary knew that she would now live her whole life under a cloud of suspicion from her family and neighbors. Embedded in her decision to be fully submissive to God’s call was the willingness to suffer possible ridicule, loneliness, and contempt. God chose her, and she submitted to His will.
Mary accepted God’s will in Luke 1:38, “Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’”
There is no evidence of Mary thinking that she was any different than anyone else. In fact, she speaks of being a servant of the Lord and how she lived in a lowly state. She realized that among all women of all time she was fortunate to be the one to bear the Christ child.
It is taught throughout the scriptures that God is no respecter of persons. Do you think that at the judgment seat of Christ He will give rich people the place of honor when it is taught in James that it is wrong to be a respecter of people because of their wealth? Do you think He will allow kings and presidents to stand before Him without bended knee when the Bible says, “Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Christ as Lord.”? No, absolutely not. God is not a respecter of people. He looks on the humble and the meek, and He smiles with pleasure. In Mary, He found a humble vessel that He could use for His glory. It is wonderful that God can take a nobody and make a somebody out of them. God is not looking for rank, wealth, or power. He is looking for people who have a humble heart. He is looking for one who displays true humility like Mary.
Mary’s Hope
Mary put her hope in the promises of God. She undoubtedly knew scripture. She had heard the stories passed down through the family about a God who had promised a savior – a messiah. She knew that God was faithful. Notice what she said in verse 55, “For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.”
Mary knew the promise that had been passed down from generation to generation – that one would be born of the seed of Abraham who would save people from their sins. She realized that she had been chosen – of all the women who had ever lived – to be the mother of that child.
The first coming of Christ brought hope to the world, but so will His second coming. Jesus has promised that one day He will return. One day Jesus will come and take His bride the church to be his wife and to live with Him forever and ever. It’s almost like a fairy tale. The Prince of Peace will come riding on a white horse to rescue His beloved, His bride, the church. It sounds like a fairy tale, yet it is absolutely true. Christ will come to take His beauty home. That is if you and I are in Christ, if we know Him in a personal way, He is coming back for us. If you have a personal relationship with Him, you too can have hope for an eternal future. Because He loves you. If you don’t know Him, that can change right here right now. Here is what you do.
A. Admit that God has not had first place in your life and that you have sinned.
1 John 1:9 – But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
B. Believe that Jesus died for your sins.
Romans 10:9 – If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
C. Accept God’s free gift of salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9 – God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
D. Invite Jesus to come into your life and take control.
John 1:12-13 – But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
Mary the ordinary, humble servant, went from fear, to praise, to hope. When we become fearful, let us remember that God is in control and will use us to fulfill his plan for the world. Praise God, be humble, and have hope that His plan will allow you to live a legacy each day that will impact the world. Tomorrow we will explore Christmas Wisdom: The Story about the Wise Men. Please encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
That will finish our podcast for today. Remember to listen to your daily dose of wisdom each day. Please share Wisdom-Trek with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.
As we take this Trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!