Mary's song bursts forth from a young woman who has just received earth-shattering news. She will carry the Messiah, bear the Son of God, become the mother of her Savior. Yet her song is not about her own importance or worthiness—it magnifies the Lord. She rejoices not in her selection but in God's faithfulness to His promises. Her humble response shows us the heart of worship: making God bigger in our sight, enlarging our vision of His goodness, letting His glory fill our perspective until everything else shrinks in comparison.

Hannah understood this kind of worship. For years she endured the pain of barrenness while her rival mocked her daily. In her anguish, she poured out her heart to God at the tabernacle, weeping so deeply that Eli the priest thought she was drunk. Yet when God answered and gave her Samuel, Hannah's song of praise echoed with the same joy Mary would sing centuries later: "My heart rejoiceth in the Lord... there is none holy as the Lord" (1 Samuel 2:1-2). Hannah had learned through suffering that true worship magnifies God's character, not our circumstances. Her years of waiting taught her to find joy not in the gift of a child, but in the Giver who remembers the forgotten and lifts up the humble. Like Mary after her, Hannah discovered that when we make much of God's faithfulness, joy flows even from seasons of sorrow.

Prayer: Gracious God, teach us to magnify You as Mary and Hannah did. Help us find joy not in material abundance but in Your faithfulness. May our hearts overflow with gratitude for Your promises. Amen.