Today’s devotion covers Luke 1:46-54 which covers Mary’s Magnificat.
“46And Mary said:
“My soul exalts the Lord,
“My soul exalts the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
And holy is His name.
50 “AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION
TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.
TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.
51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
And has exalted those who were humble.
53 “HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.
And sent away the rich empty-handed.
54 “He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his descendants forever.” Luke 1:46-54. (Emphasis added.)
To Abraham and his descendants forever.” Luke 1:46-54. (Emphasis added.)
We know that we should give thanks to the Lord, God our Savior. Psalm 107:1-2 states: “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, …”
Psalm 107 continues: “Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonders to the sons of men!
For He has satisfied the thirsty soul,
And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.” Psalm 107:8-9. Mary quoted a part of Psalm 107:9 in her Magnificat as seen in Luke 1:53.
And for His wonders to the sons of men!
For He has satisfied the thirsty soul,
And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.” Psalm 107:8-9. Mary quoted a part of Psalm 107:9 in her Magnificat as seen in Luke 1:53.
There are many comments that can be made about this rich Magnificat. The specific point that I want to make, in addition to the general point of importance of giving thanks to the Lord, is that this thanks should be specific as well as general and include all “good things”, both spiritual and physical blessings. Mary seems to be leaning toward physical blessings by just her use of “hungry” rather than “hungry soul” and “thirsty soul” used in Psalm 107. However, although Psalm 107 primarily refers to spiritual blessings including deliverance from distresses, it does also refers to physical blessings: “And sow fields and plant vineyards, And gather a fruitful harvest. Also He blesses them and they multiply greatly, And He does not let their cattle decrease.” Psalm 107:37-38.
Likewise, when we read about our Heavenly Father giving us, His children, “what is good”, we read about the spiritual blessing of the gift of the Holy Spirit in Luke 11:13, and we read the more general blessing of the gift of “what is good” in Matthew 7:11. Compare Luke 11:13: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” with Matthew 7:11: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Emphasis added.) However, it should be noted that both these Scriptures lead off with food (bread and fish in Matthew 7:9-10: “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?” and fish and an egg in Luke 11:11-12: “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? “Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?”).
From the account of creation in Genesis throughout the rest of Scripture, we see the goodness of physical things. “The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:12 “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the labor of man, So that he may bring forth food from the earth, And wine which makes man’s heart glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, And food which sustains man’s heart.” Psalm 104:14-15.
But, we must also understand that apparently good physical things will only have a good effect on His elect. Even in this Scripture for today, we read that God “has exalted those who were humble”. Luke 1:52. This phrase is immediately before the key statement for today: “HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS;”. We also read in today’s Scripture that God’s mercy is ” TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM”. Luke 1:50.
In Psalm 73, we are reminded that such apparently good physical things may be used by God to set the wicked on slippery slopes and to cast them to destruction. We should not be envious of the wicked. “When I pondered to understand this (the prosperity of the wicked), It was troublesome in my sight Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!” Psalm 73:16-19. (Parenthetical identification is mine.)
Moreover, we can not simply conclude that just because certain individuals do not seem to receive good physical things that they are not blessed. We do read and Scripture and do see in our observations that there are those who “… experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:36-40.
In summary, for the Elect, “… God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.
So, Paul can state: “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” Philippians 4:11-12.
So, where does this leave us? Do we just go through life nervously knowing that we can be filled or go hungry “waiting for the other shoe to drop”?
No, we are God’s children and continue to ask our Heavenly Father and expect that He will give us good things. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32.
And, when we do go hungry and suffer need, we ask our Heavenly Father and expect that He will give us grace to deal with it.
Part of this grace includes a deepening understanding of the goodness of our Heavenly Father. He does not randomly allow us to suffer. He does not lightly allow us to suffer. There must be a very important purpose for God to allow us to suffer. We are reminded of Question and Answer 1 of The Heidelberg Catechism:
“Question 1. What is thy only comfort in life and death?
Answer. That I with body and soul, both in life and death, I am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.” (Emphasis added.)
Part of this grace includes the comfort of the Holy Spirit. “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.” Acts 9:31 There is also the comfort of our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father: “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.” 2 Thessalonians 2-16-17.
Part of this grace includes the comfort of other Christians: God “comforts us in all our affliction” “so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:4.
Part of this grace includes strength to deal with such suffering. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13.
Who can fully list the good things or the graces of God? We are filled with good things. We are filled with the graces of God.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 