Mary’s Song.
He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. Luke 1:50
Mary’s song gives us, in very few words, an amazing description of God. She sings of the way in which God has blessed her life but then goes on to speak of the way in which he brings his life and salvation to all those who follow him. On two occasions she draws attention to the fact that God is a God of mercy, and we shouldn’t rush past this word. In verse 49 she declares that “the Mighty One is holy”. That is to say, God is totally pure, true and completely separated from anything that is sinful. That’s wonderful – but it presents us with an enormous problem, because we are definitely not any of those things! Hard as we might try, we are a long way from being holy, and that means there is a huge distance between us and God. Only God’s mercy can bridge the gulf. Only his willingness to reach out to us, to be generous and forgiving can enable us to enter into a relationship with him.
David knew all about God’s mercy. He was not only a king but also a powerful and very successful military leader. He was used to getting his own way. When he saw a beautiful young woman bathing one day, he knew exactly what he wanted to do and, within moments, he was making love to her. The problem was that she was married, and shortly afterwards, she discovered that she was pregnant. Her husband was a soldier and so David gave permission for him to come home on leave. If they made love, then no one would question who the father was. But David hadn’t reckoned on the high principles of Uriah, the husband, who refused to sleep at home whilst his unit were fighting on the front line. Even after David got him drunk, Uriah refused. So David needed to come up with another plan. In his desperation, he arranged for Uriah’s murder. One disaster followed another because that’s what sin does. But thanks to the blunt ministry of Nathan the prophet, David was confronted with his sins and discovered God’s mercy.
God’s mercy changed the script for King David, as it always does. When we learn that God does not deal with us according to our sins, everything changes. He reaches out to us, failed as we are, with love and mercy. Thanks be to God!
Question
When have you experienced God’s mercy?
Prayer
Loving Father, thank you that you are willing to set me free from my sins and give me a new life. Amen
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