For The Great Things He Has Done
This is a time of year when we say a lot of “thank you’s”, because of the gifts and kindnesses we have received. But have we stopped and said thank you for the greatest gift we ever received? Luke 1:46-55 is the passage of scripture known as The Magnificat (Latin translation from the first few words of the passage “My soul magnifies the Lord”). It is Mary’s song of praise and thankfulness for God’s greatness, faithfulness and power in bringing salvation to the world. Mary had been chosen to carry the Savior of the world, yet despite this great honor, she never elevated herself or acted out of a sense of self-importance. Instead, Mary magnified God and praised Him for the great honor He had bestowed upon her and His great blessing upon those who remain faithful to Him. I pray that you would take a moment right now to just give God praise for the great things He has done in your life. Amen
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.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. (Luke 1:46-55). In examining Mary’s song of praise found in the above scripture, I want to highlight 3 things that I think are useful for us to remember about God and to praise Him for:
First, Mary reminds us with her song, that God is great and He alone deserves the glory. She gives God the glory for His favor upon her and for His mercy upon Israel and all those who willingly receive the Savior. We are to give the Lord all glory in all situations, for He alone causes any of it to happen. Through His might and greatness, He causes things to happen both for our good and His glory. Great is the Lord who made our salvation possible!
Mary also demonstrated with her song of praise that she trusted fully in God’s faithfulness. She demonstrated her trust in a faithful God by giving God praise well in advance of the promised Savior being born. She reminds us that we can and should praise God for His promises, even in advance of the physical manifestation of the blessing. We can praise God because He is faithful, and we can be assured that He will do what He said He will do. Faithful is our God!
Finally, in her song, Mary recognized God’s sovereign power. Regardless of the power that individuals in high places may seem to have over institutions and situations, theirs is no match for God’s power. He can and does topple those with seemingly unimpeachable power who act with unrighteousness. At the same time, God’s power is compassionate, raising up those who are the least, the last, the lost and the left out among us. And best of all, His power is available to all who love Him and reverence Him. I serve a God who has all power in His hand!
We, like Mary, have a song to sing and a testimony to proclaim. We did not get here by ourselves and even our greatest achievements should not result in us promoting what we have done. Instead, our blessings are but an opportunity for us to magnify the Lord and praise Him. So, like Mary, let us praise our God, because He alone is worthy…. And because He has done great things for every one of us!
Merry Christmas and may God’s great blessings be upon all of you in this season,
Rev. Glenn
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise His works to another and shall declare His mighty acts. Psalm 145:3-4
