Luke 1:37-55 (NLT)
37 For nothing is impossible with God.” 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true.”
The angel tells Mary that she will have a baby – but she is a virgin. She has LOTS of questions, like “How is that possible?” Her question was not full of disbelief (like Zechariah’s), just a question. She didn’t understand, but she accepted God’s will.
That is an attitude that I am practicing. I don’t understand a lot. I don’t understand why. But God is Good and I am His servant. Enough said.
45 You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” 46 Mary responded, “Oh, how I praise the Lord. 47 How I rejoice in God my Savior! 48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed. 49 For he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me. 50 His mercy goes on from generation to generation, to all who fear him. 51 His mighty arm does tremendous things! How he scatters the proud and haughty ones! 52 He has taken princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. 53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. 54 And how he has helped his servant Israel! He has not forgotten his promise to be merciful. 55 For he promised our ancestors — Abraham and his children — to be merciful to them forever.”
I love Mary’s spontaneous song of praise. It just bubbles out of her. I want to be so full of the Spirit of God that I bubble over in praise.
Psalm 57: 1-11
1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,for in you I take refuge.
Have mercy, God. What is mercy? Mercy is not treating someone how they deserve. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) We can apply this to how we treat others, no matter how they treat us. But here, David is asking for mercy. We don’t ever want to be treated by God according to how good we are. I never want to approach God based on my own merits. I need His mercy.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
Reminds me of Psalm 91:1. To read another article about this, click here.
2 I cry out to God Most High, to God, who vindicates me.
God Most High vindicates me. That means that someone was accusing me. Satan accuses us night and day before God. (Revelation 12:10)