Whose We Are, Not What We do!

Proverbs 16:6-10 Amplified

⁶ By mercy and love, truth and fidelity [to God and man—not by sacrificial offerings], iniquity is purged out of the heart, and by the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord men depart from and avoid evil.

What a roadmap we have been given by Solomon!

By:

·      Mercy: Forgiveness given to one who could be punished

·      Love: deep affection

·      Truth: Testimony and judgement

·      Fidelity: Faithfulness

To God and through God iniquity is purged from our hearts.  We can’t sacrifice enough, do enough good deeds, try and harder – it is through the saving grace of Jesus Christ that we can partake in the process of sanctification.

Sometimes we get busy though, don’t we?  In our churches and in our ministries, finding our worth in what we do, rather than in whose we are. We can get lost in the doing and forget that our worth is in His being.

As we enter into the reverence and worship of our Lord, our frequencies change.  We get dialed into the Life giving awareness of the Holy Spirit and we turn off the chatter of our one enemy. Our song becomes His song as our “souls doth magnify the Lord”.

I thought we would look at Mary today, a young hand maiden of the Lord’s that magnifies the qualities that Solomon speaks of here today:

Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat

⁴⁶ And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹ for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
⁵⁰ 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.” Luke 1:46-55

Mary soul magnified her God and her Spirit rejoiced in God, her Savior.  Mary refers to her God here, before the birth of Christ as her Savior, her deliverer. As she is impregnated by the Holy Spirit, she is delivered into the worlds definition of chaos—an unwed, young, unmarried woman.  Yet, she trusts in her God and in His purposes for her life- her deliverer has called her to an unexpected journey.  She displays all of the character qualities that Solomon speaks of: through His mercy, love and truth and faithfulness, she responds in kind.  She refers to God as her Savior, or deliverer, as she begins to carry the worlds Savior.

Let’s pray”

Lord help us to respond to You as Mary does.  Without understanding the full plan, she bows her will and her life to Your will and Your ways. We pray that obedience is our nature when you call us into unexpected places and uncomfortable spaces.  We want to grow in You Lord, we pray that each moment is seen as a divine decision of obedience and truth, faithfulness and mercy-à and that we walk accordingly.