Rejoice in Difficult Circumstances

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name.”

Luke 1:46-49 (NIV)

Young, unwed and pregnant – three words that describe Mary the mother of Jesus in this passage.

I imagine if I were Mary, the three words that would describe my response to the situation would be – afraid, doubtful and questioning. Despite the angel’s assurance this pregnancy was a gift from God – I would fear ridicule from those around me, doubt the faithfulness of Joseph to stay with me and question God’s motives and plans.

Mary’s Response

But Mary wasn’t like me. Instead the three words that describe her response are trust, belief and rejoice. We see that Mary trusted the Lord’s plan when she told the angel, “May it be to me as you have said” Luke 1:38 (NIV). In her belief she quickly traveled to be with her relative Elizabeth who was also with child (Luke 1:39-40 NIV). And upon her visit to Elizabeth, Mary rejoiced and praised the Lord through song.

Throughout Luke 1:46-55 but especially verses 46-49 we see Mary praising the Lord for who He is. Despite the circumstances of being young, unwed and pregnant Mary recognizes the goodness of the Lord in verse 46 when she sings, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior”. She continues to honor Him in verse 49, “for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name”.

Friend, when you are faced with a difficult season how do you respond? Do you respond with fear and questions or do you respond like Mary with trust and belief that God is Who He says He is?

If you’re like me and find it hard to trust and believe, I want to share with you something I’ve started doing each morning.

God’s Word tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV), “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Rejoice Always

Just as Mary rejoiced in Who the Lord was despite her difficult circumstances, we too can rejoice in Who the Lord is in our difficult circumstances.

But what does this look like on a daily basis?

Each morning spend time reading God’s Word.

This doesn’t have to be long. You can chose different passages each day or slowly work your way through a book of the Bible. Here are a few scripture passages to get you started.

• Romans 12:12
• Galatians 5:22,23
• Psalm 40:3,4,10
• Philippians 4:4-9

Journal your prayers

Pray through scripture rejoicing in who God is. Here is how this looks for me when I pray through Psalm 40.

Oh Lord I wait patiently for you. I praise you because I know you hear my cry and lift me out of the pit and mud of life. You are faithful to set my feet on a rock and give me a firm place to stand. Lord, you put a new song of praise in my heart.

You are trustworthy and have an amazing plan for my life. No one can compare to you and the countless miracles you have performed.

I desire to do your will for your law is in my heart.

I rejoice Lord in your righteousness and praise you for your love, mercy, faithfulness and protection.

When my heart and mind fail me you are faithful to remind me of your help and deliverance. I praise you for Who you are My Lord.

Give thanks in all circumstances

In her book One Thousand Gifts Ann Voskamp writes these words, “…to give thanks is an action and rejoice is a verb and these are not mere pulsing emotions. While I may not always feel joy, God asks me to give thanks in all things, because He knows that the feeling of joy begins in the action of thanksgiving.”

It is in the “action of thanksgiving” when the focus of our heart and mind returns to the truth of Who God is and His love for us.

Each morning as I close my quiet time I write out what I’m thankful for from the day before. This helps me start my day out focusing on the good from the day before rather than dwelling on the difficulties of life.

Trust and Believe

Mary is a beautiful example of what it means to truly trust and believe. Despite the uncertainty of her situation she knew the Lord was trustworthy and faithful.

The challenge is for us to trust and believe the Lord despite our circumstances.

When we stay grounded in His Word and focused on setting our minds and hearts on rejoicing in Him always, we train our hearts and minds to trust and believe Him in all circumstances.

As we daily trust the Lord, lean on Him and find ways to rejoice, pray and give thanks little by little we see Him working good in difficult circumstances.

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In His Calm,