"IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." In such concise and simple words are the Father and His creation referred to by John. Throughout the whole of the Scriptures the might and majesty of the Word of God are frequently referred to.
Perhaps in no instance is the power of the Word more distinctly seen than in the birth of our Saviour. Mary's pure receptive thought enabled her to hear the voice of God, and her absolute surrender of self, without reservation as to the steps by which God would lead her, is a lesson we all should ponder. In Mary's talk with Elizabeth, her kinswoman and the mother of John the Baptist, we are given a glimpse of her exalted state of thought, when she says, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." All through her talk we are impressed with her familiarity with the Scriptures and the promises of God. As we read her history, as given in the inspired Scriptures, we see each step designated to occur at the time when the need arose; and as each step was taken in unfaltering faith, the way of escape from the shafts of error was provided, as in the flight to Egypt, the sojourn there, and the return to the land of Palestine.
In that humble home at Nazareth the child Jesus grew to understand the Scriptures, and the lives of the prophets became familiar to him. The practical manner in which God led, prospered, protected, and healed them, became a living reality to the spiritually-minded child. In this atmosphere he grew strong in spirit, expressing wisdom and the grace of God.
