Why did God choose Mary to mother His Son? Could one reason be she was full of highest quality praise? The song of Mary glorifies the Lord.
“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.” (Read the whole praise song of Mary: Luke 1:46-55)
We call it the Magnificat. An act of worship. Lovely poetry. Dynamite exaltation. She recalled the wonder of what God did for her. And for the people of Israel. For all people. Saturated with Old Testament Psalms and hints of Hannah’s song, the mother of Samuel, after she gave him back to the Lord to be raised in the temple. Stanley Jones calls the song of Mary “the most revolutionary document in the world.”
It’s humble contemplation: that God would choose her to fulfill an ancient promise. Spontaneous wonder of God’s power, holiness, and mercy. It’s “the song that follows sacrifice.” The praise in the song of Mary tells of the revolutions of God. He scatters the proud and their plans. God’s moral revolution. He casts down the mighty. He exalts the humble. God’s social revolution. He has filled those who are hungry. The rich He has sent away. God’s economic revolution.
How did Mary learn quality praise like that? Though she probably could neither read nor write, she meditated on Scriptures, heard them over and over. The praise songs of her people became part of the song of Mary.
Learning To Praise
We need help to learn quality praise. By pouring over Scriptures. Learning the songs of the church. The hymns of the ages. The enlightenment of quality poets.
One of the many reasons I’m so thankful to sing in church choirs: I learn the songs by heart, the songs of praise.
“Praise ye the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul, praise Him for He is thy health and salvation!”
“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father! There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not: As Thou has been Thou forever wilt be.”
“I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you, O my soul, rejoice. Take joy, my King, in what you hear, may it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.”
Quality praise to the Lord God takes practice. We’re getting ready for the great praise choir of heaven. But quality praise is more than well-crafted phrases. It’s a heart yielded, full of faith, ready with the Divine Yes.
Janet Chester Bly
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Assignment: paraphrase the Magnificat of Mary (Luke 1:46-55) in your own words, from your own experiences.
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Several different versions of Mary’s Magnificat praises for you this Christmas season. The first is modern beat and second is a classical and acapella version. Which do you prefer and why?
Chris Tomlin “My Soul Magnifies The Lord” …
[youtube]http://youtu.be/HHzevDE3xhU[/youtube]
Acappella worship song based on Luke 1:46-55, Words and Music by Randy Gill, performed by The Zoe Group …
[youtube]http://youtu.be/6F33Y7OgXzM[/youtube]
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“Women Standers” blog article HERE
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