The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you. They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.
Psalm 145:8-13
Tell of His Glory; Speak of His Might
In the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke, we read of four beautiful "songs." The first is from the lips of Mary, mother of Jesus. We often call it the "Magnificat." She was echoing many of the thoughts written by her ancestor David in Psalms 145 and 146. The second song is from Zechariah at the birth of his son, John the Baptist. The third is the glorious song of the angels who appeared to the shepherds on Christmas night. And finally Luke records for us the "Nunc Dimittis," the song of Simeon as he held the baby Jesus in his arms.
Just as David had written in the psalms, they couldn't help but praise the Lord for his loving faithfulness. In the birth of Jesus, God's mighty power was on display, hidden though it was in the weakness of a newborn child. The Lord had seen the suffering of all mankind, how we struggle under the weight of our guilt and the consequences of our sin. And he had not forgotten his ancient promise to show mercy toward us and come himself to rescue us. He kept that promise in a powerful way by sending his Son Jesus Christ who would die and rise again to make us right with God.
The truth is, we don't know if any of the four "songs" in the beginning of Luke's Gospel were sung originally. They are recorded for us simply as spoken words. But over the centuries countless composers have combined these meaningful messages with melodies. It's almost as if the words themselves demanded a more glorious form than could be conveyed by normal speech. Whether spoken or sung, however, the truth of the incarnation—God taking on human flesh and blood—will ring out through all generations until he returns again in glory.
Prayer:
(Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal – 45)
Lord, how shall I thank you rightly?
I am saved eternally
By your life and death for me.
Let me not regard you lightly
But on you in faith depend,
Praising you, my heav'nly friend.
The devotions on Thursdays and Fridays in December have led us in Songs from the Psalms. We pray you have been edified by this special series.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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