She, Herself & God
Mary’s Faith and Piety
“Mary responded, ‘Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For He took notice of His lowly servant girl; and from now on, all generations will call me blessed. For the mighty One is holy, and He has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear Him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped His servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. For He made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham, and his children forever.'” (Luke 1:46-55)
My all-time favorite song of praise is called “My God is Real,” and it perfectly describes my faith in the Lord and my piety towards Him. It tells that even if “Some people say there is no God up in the heaven. They say He did not send His Son for us to die. They mock His Name; and to their shame, they live without Him. But I believe in God, and I can tell you why.” It also says that even if “I may not understand the mystery of a snowflake. I may not know what makes a tiny flower grow. The knowledge that great men have had I know eludes me. But I believe in God, He’s real. He lives, I know.” Moreover, the song declares that even if “A thousand men may say it’s all imagination. But they don’t know and understand the way I feel. Could I express the happiness that overwhelms me? I’d tell the world till all would know that God is real.” Why is this so? The chorus explains it all: “His hand created all the stars that light the heaven. His tender touch brought forth the beauty of a rose. His love so free He gave to me that’s why I praise Him. My God is real. He’s real to me, all heaven knows.”
Indeed, “My God is Real” is my favorite song of praise. I consider it my own version of Mary’s magnificat because it speaks about God’s realness and faithfulness, which I personally experienced in my life. When I experienced poverty, He was the One who provided for me. When I experienced sorrow, He was the One who gave me immeasurable joy. When I experienced doubt, He was the One who gave me a blessed assurance. When I experienced loneliness, He was the One who embraced me so that I could feel His loving presence. When I experienced failure, He was the One who reminded me that victory was already won at the cross. When I experienced sickness, He was the One who healed me completely. And when I experienced death, He was the One who gave me life. Indeed, my God is real to me that’s why I praise Him.
How about you? What is your favorite song of praise? What is that hymn that perfectly describes your faith in the Lord and your piety towards Him? Or do you consider the magnificat your song of praise too? Are you like Mary whose soul praises God and spirit rejoices in her Savior? Do you see yourself as a lowly servant girl who has been blessed by the Lord despite your status in life? Do you call Him the mighty One who is holy and has done great things for you? Can you also tell that God shows mercy to all who fear Him? Has he done tremendous things in your generation? Have your eyes seen the Lord scattering the proud and haughty ones and bringing down princes from their thrones and exalting the humble? Have you witnessed Him filling the hungry with good things and sending the rich away with empty hands? Can you declare that He is merciful and that He keeps His promise not just to you but to your ancestors?
As a woman of God, each of us can testify of the Lord’s realness and faithfulness that’s why we praise Him. Perhaps, He provided for you when you had no money and used people as instruments to bless you and minister to you. Perhaps, He strengthened you and comforted you when you went through one trial after the other, which was the reason why you could still stand and smile despite your sorrow. Perhaps, He healed you or a loved one who was so close to death and showed you that miracles did exist after all. Perhaps, He saved you from yourself, from an abusive relationship, from a toxic workplace, from friends who were bullies, from relatives who were using you for their personal advantage, and from the bondage of sin and other idols. Perhaps, He gave you peace when there was too much noise that you wanted to unhear because it was deafening or too much silence that you wanted unfear because it was haunting. But no matter what we go through in this life, each of us should be like Mary: always giving thanks, always singing a praise, and always declaring her faith.
God of mercy, we thank You for using someone like Mary to teach us how to praise You: with all our souls and with all our spirits. Thank You for reminding us of our status in life: we are Your lowly servants who have been blessed by You. Thank You for Your great faithfulness not just in our lives but even in the lives of our ancestors. Thank You for showing mercy to all those who fear You. Thank You for Your mighty arm that has done tremendous things. Thank You for helping us in times of our needs. And thank You for every promise You made and for keeping them all. Indeed, You are real that’s why we praise You always and forever. This is our prayer of thanks (and praise) in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ (who was the real Reason behind Mary’s magnificat). Amen.
