December 9 (Luke 1:50)
And his mercy is for those who fear
him from
generation to generation.
(ESV)
The song that Mary wrote after receiving the joyous news
that she would be the mother of Jesus continues by acknowledging God’s mercy,
but notice the two aspects of that mercy.
It is for those who fear God and it is always available.
When the Bible talks about fearing God, it does not mean the
sort of fear that a child, worried about creatures under the bed, experiences
in a darkened room. It is does not mean
the fear an adult faces while waiting for results from a biopsy. It is the awe-filled respect and honor that
is proper from humble creatures toward the infinite and majestic God who
created them. And God’s mercy is for all
those who are humble before Him. Those
too arrogant and proud to fear Him would never think they needed His mercy in
the first place.
Mary also says that this mercy extends from generation to
generation. It was available not only to
her but to people of the third, fifteenth, and twenty-first centuries as
well. It is available to every nation
and culture on the planet. Perhaps it is
time for you to quit trying to make life work and simply and completely throw
yourself upon the mercy of God. If you
do, you will find rest and restoration for your soul as never before.
As a special feature this month, each devotion will include a link to
one of the many glorious, musical versions of the “Magnificat.” Each one includes the Latin text as
well. This week’s selection can be found
here. This is a lager work by Monteverdi, and the
“Magnificat” begins at the 1:09:34 mark.
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