Friends in Christ Weekly Message
December 15, 2001

His mercy flows in wave after wave
    on those who are in awe before him.
Luke 1:50 (Message*)

This is part of Mary's Song or The Magnificat which is Mary's response to her cousin Elizabeth's exclamation that Mary is blessed among women because she bears the Lord. While Mary could have been distraught because she was unmarried and pregnant, she understood her pregnancy as demonstrating the goodness and character of God.

The theme of God's mercy, or lovingkindness, is repeated over and over in the Bible, both the Old Testament and the New. It is absolutely basic to understanding God, for it is a quality intrinsic to the nature of God.

God's mercy is not something only for certain special occasions, nor is it infrequent. It is something that blesses us continually if we appreciate God and choose to stand in it - something that "flows in wave after wave" in Peterson's translation of Mary's words. It is shown us not because we deserve it, but because of the depth of God's love for us.

But God's mercy is not only something we receive. If we understand and appreciate the mercy we receive, we naturally want to pass it on. In addition to being fundamental to the character of God, it is fundamental to the character of the Christian. As we grow in Christ, we become more and more merciful in our relationships to those around us.

Dear friends, bask in God's everflowing mercy. Become so changed by it that everyone you meet experiences mercy through you.

Bill Samuel

* The Message version © by Eugene H. Peterson.

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