Verse 46 Mary expresses her delight in a song of praise to God. The more mercy we have received, the higher we lift God up. When we think about all the evil or bad things we’ve done and we understand that Jesus’ blood covers those terrible things with grace, it restores our relationship with Him. This is His mercy. Being in a relationship with God means being able to talk to Him, pray to Him, trust Him, and believe Him. God, in His mercy, sent His blameless, sinless Son to take our sin/wrongdoing to the cross so we didn’t have to live cut off from God every time we sinned. God is holy. Holiness cannot have anything to do with evil. Our holy God could not have a relationship with our sinful nature.

In the Old Testament, people had to bring a sacrifice of a lamb to cover their sin and come back into a relationship with God. Then Jesus covered our sin with His life, which was His sacrifice for us on the cross, ONCE, and for ALL. That is God’s mercy and how much He loves us. I can’t imagine sending my daughter to a cross for someone else, especially someone else who hurts me or lets me down. Someone who sins against me. Especially if my daughter never sinned or let me down! I can’t imagine that kind of mercy. And then I think of all the times I have really done wrong by God’s Word, and I’m thinking, “why me, Lord? Why did you do that for me? Your sinless son is worth more than my messed up life.” But God speaks to my heart and says, “because I love you that much.” 😭 His mercy is for us to come back into a relationship with Him.

And last, the more honor He places us in, the more honor we must give Him.

He who is mighty

Verse 48 God looked on this “lowly servant girl” (NLT) or her “low estate” (ESV) and had compassion for her. God has a record of doing this in the Bible. Because God saw they hated Leah, he opened her womb (Genesis 29:31). Because Peninnah provoked and insulted Hannah, God gave her a son. (1 Samuel 1:19). Those who are wrongfully suffering and despised, God will sometimes grant favor to, especially if they’ve endured it with patience.

Verse 50 God has mercy in store, mercy in reserve, for all who have a reverence/awe/respect for Him, and His sovereignty (higher than any other) and authority (the supreme and definitive answer). For those who put Him on the throne of their lives and obey Him, God’s mercy is on them. Those who respectfully fear God as our Creator and Judge can put their hope in Jesus. He is our Mediator, and Advocate (Jesus stands between God and us as a mediator and Jesus advocates for us in prayer). We don’t want to do or go any other way than God’s way. No matter how alluring, we believe anything else is worse than what God has for us. God favors those who look to Him with this kind of fear. His favor is with healing and grace for generations to come.

He has scattered the proud

Verse 51 Proud people want to have their own way and their own will. God, in His mercy, will break all those plans and projects and bring them low by the very things they thought they were going to establish or advance themselves by. Prideful people think they can secure themselves a future by their own strength, but God will overturn them. For those who are humble and low, God will exalt and fill them with good things. God takes great pleasure in disappointing the expectations of those who promise themselves great things in the world. And He loves to out-do the expectations of those who promise themselves little. He is righteous, and it is his glory to bring low those who exalt themselves; and, as a good God, it is his glory to exalt those who humble themselves, and to speak comfort to those who fear before him.

He fills and empties

Verse 53 Those who see their need for Christ, and desire a life in Him, He will fill it with good things – the best things. His blessings will satisfy them. Those who are weary and burdened will find rest with Christ, and those who thirst are called to come to Him and drink. But God refuses anyone who comes thinking they have need of nothing of Him. Anyone who comes full of themselves and their own righteousness, and thinks they have all they need on their own, Jesus sends away empty. They are not welcome. He sends them to the idols that they serve and give their time to.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for Your mercy that is stored up for me and my children and generations to come. Your compassion is endless, your kindness is plentiful, and your favor in my life is bountiful. Thank you for loving me even when I don’t deserve it and for granting me favor and blessings in my life. Have compassion for my suffering, Lord. You see my heart and I trust You patiently to work all things out for my good.

Your kingdom chooses the lowly to bring favor upon. Help me, Holy Spirit, never to look to my plans as better than yours, God. Or to see my strength as more security than yours, God. Or to view my desires as better than yours, God. Protect my heart from pride, Holy Spirit. Let me always come to You for guidance, wisdom, strength, comfort, Truth, and real satisfaction. Let me not get caught up in what I can buy to settle my heart, what I can do to give me peace, where I can go to escape my problems. Jesus, I want all of you ruling in my life. I need you, Jesus. Fill me up with Your rest, Your peace, Your comfort, Your satisfaction, Your joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.