The Mercy of the Gift

“And Mary said:

‘My soul glorifies the Lord
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
   for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful…’

“When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy…

“His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us…
  to show mercy to our ancestors
    and to remember his holy covenant,
   the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him without fear
   in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

‘And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.'” Luke 1:46-54,57-58,67-69a,72-79

From eternal design to foreshadowing to announcement of His birth to His death and resurrection, mercy thrums a steady beat in the gift of Jesus. Mary received the angel Gabriel’s message as an extension of her God’s mercy, and Zechariah knew that it was for the sake of God’s mercy his son John was born and would proclaim the message of salvation’s peace. God’s great love for His people works continually to express His heart of mercy, free for the taking. (Genesis 3:6-13,21; Isaiah 53:4-6,10)

As recipients of this mercy, we must never forget and always proceed in His gracious gift. Humbling ourselves before the majesty of God and exquisite expression of His mercy to us in Christ, we will fall on our knees in wonder and gratitude. Being filled, we enjoy it with thanksgiving and spill it out, passing it on to generations.

Have we received His astounding mercy to us, secured in His salvation? How have we been transformed by it? In what specific ways are we planting love’s beauties around us, and showing mercy as we have been shown? What individuals or situations need God’s gift of fresh mercy this day, and what part will we take in making introduction or serving as a conduit? (Lamentations 3:22-23; Matthew 5:7; Romans 9:15; Philippians 2:2–11).

Lord, grateful for Your gift, may I generously abound in mercy to others.