Magnifying Glass
A few months ago, a newsletter from a dear friend caught my attention. She shared how she had a conversation with God about a verse that many of us have read countless times but may not fully grasp:
“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.’”
— Luke 1:46-47 (ESV)
My friend posed a simple but profound question to God: “What does it mean to magnify You, Lord? How can my soul magnify You?”
In response, God led her to a definition of “magnify” by journalist Patrick T. Reardon that deeply resonated with her:
“Many modern translations say ‘My soul proclaims’ or ‘My soul praises,’ but I like the earlier word ‘magnifies.’ It’s a bit odd and mysterious. What Mary is saying is that she is like a magnifying glass. By looking at her—by looking through her—other people see God more clearly.”
Emphasis mine.
This simple but powerful image shifted my perspective, and I’d like to share it with you. Often, when we hear “God worked through you,” we think about doing good deeds to reflect God to others—whether through words, actions, or even a smile. But God showed my friend a deeper truth:
Our role isn’t to “reflect” God.
Our purpose is to magnify Him. Instead of trying to be mirrors reflecting God’s light, we are invited to stand in God’s presence, holding a magnifying glass in front of us so others can look through it and get a clearer view of His greatness.
We don’t need to promote ourselves or highlight our good works. We simply stand in His presence, letting others look through us and see His glory, His beauty, and His grace. God decides what parts of our lives He wants others to see. It’s not about drawing attention to us—it’s about drawing attention to Him.
In the past, I was always aware that I had the privilege of reflecting Jesus to others. I wanted people to see His light in me when they looked at me. But a mirror only shows our own reflection—what God is calling us to do is much more intentional.
He invites us to commune with Him deeply—body, soul, and spirit. Our task is to magnify Him, to exalt Him in everything we do, and to celebrate His eternal glory. As we do this, we hold up our magnifying glass for the world to see. And when others look through it, they don’t see us—they see Him, clearer than ever before.
Psalm 34:3 (NASB) says,
“O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.”
As you go about your day, ask yourself: Will I hold up my magnifying glass today? When others look through it, will they get a clearer view of God and His wonders?
A simple way to practice this is by holding an actual magnifying glass in front of you as you pray:
“God, thank You for Your presence in my life. I’m grateful that I can come freely into Your presence. Please guide me to opportunities to magnify You. Help me to put myself behind You, so others can see You more clearly, through the way I live and interact with the world. I praise You for the privilege of helping others recognize Your greatness.”
Let this be the prayer of your heart today—magnifying God so others can catch a glimpse of His beauty and grace.