‘And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation’ (Luke 1:50).
In the preceding centuries God had promised it again and again: as God of Israel He would be forever associated with this people. As for size, wealth, power and greatness, God could have easily chosen another people. What was true for Mary was also true for Israel: God in his mercy, had chosen Israel to be His own people, and from this people the Savior of the world would be born. The fact that God is merciful means that His heart lovingly goes out to people in need. God opens His heart to all who are willing to accept His love and forgiveness. God did not consider Himself too exalted to be unwilling to dwell among us as a human being, to be born as an earthling. The warm heart of God stands forever in stark contrast to the hearts of greedy and tyrannical world leaders. It is not brute force or the ruthlessness of world leaders that defeat evil in the world. Only the power of God’s love will mercifully set right all that is so crooked on this earth today. In what power do you trust today and in the future?
Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free.
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me is the current of his love,
leading inward, leading homeward to his glorious rest above.
(S. Trevor Francis)
Lord God, I pray that …
Lord God, I thank you that …