The Joy Of An Uplifted Soul

Text: Luke 1:39-56

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste,
into a city of Juda;
And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary,
the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among
women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the
babe leaped in my womb for joy.
And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those
things which were told her from the Lord.
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from
henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the
imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low
degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty
away.
He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own
house.

Source

Mary had been given some information concerning Elizabeth so she went to visit her. Seeing and hearing from Elizabeth further confirmed the words of the Angel Gabriel to Mary. She magnified the Lord and rejoiced in Him because she had been uplifted. An uplifted person is a cheerful person; his spirit has been raised and he has hope.

The joy of the Lord will make you strong (Neh.8:10). Lack of joy means lack of strength. The hope of a coming change should also cause joy in you. Do not lose your courage; it brings with it a great reward. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. While Abraham waited on God for Isaac, he grew stronger in his faith and gave praise to God (Rom.4:20). Hannah was no longer downcast when she received the word from E|i, God's servant.

No matter the gravity of the challenge you face, focus your attention on the God of your salvation. In Him alone is our deliverance, healing, protection and provision. Be full of joy in the Lord always. Iwili say again, be full of joy (Phil.4:4). The Psalmist said: “...Fix my eyes on GOd, soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God (Psa.42:5). Be assured of the presence of the Lord with you; His presence is salvation. He is the EI-Shaddai, I am that I am”, our banner and our righteousness.