#DailyDevotion For What Will You Praise The Lord?
Luk 1:50-56 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. (51) He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; (52) he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; (53) he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. (54) He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, (55) as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” (56) And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
Mary continues her song of praise in verse fifty. You might take note of her praise. To praise someone, particularly the Lord is not to simple say hallelujah or praise the Lord. Those are invitations to praise. To praise someone you have to say what that person has done, particularly the Lord.
Mary praises the Lord for his mercy. The Lord does underserved good things for those who fear him. To fear the Lord is to hate evil. (Prov. 8:13) While we may fall into sin from time to time, we hate it. We do not delight in it. We confess it and repent of it.
The Lord has shown the strength of his arm. He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has done it in a strange way: Making both the barren and the virgin conceive. He takes on our flesh humbling himself, the Creator to become part of creation. He does not ride in on a charger with millions of armies o angels or soldiers but humbly on a donkey with unarmed disciples and then suffers and dies on a cross. Yet from the humility of the grave he is risen and ascended to the right hand of the Father.
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness he has filled with his own righteousness. He baptizes us into his life, death and resurrection and even seats us in the heavenly places with himself. He gives us his body and blood in the Supper sealing us in his righteousness until he comes again in glory. Those who think they’re good or good enough as they are, they are sent away with nothing but eternal punishment.
Heavenly Father, we praise you for remembering your mercy to your servant Israel by sending your Son to be the promised blessed seed of Abraham, Jesus of Nazareth to the Savior of the world. Grant us a fervent faith in him always that his praise may always be on our lips. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.