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“He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.” -Luke 1:54

When Christ came, the people of God had not heard a word from the Lord in centuries. In fact, the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, was written around 440-400 B.C. The people longed to hear from God, waiting for Him to fulfill His promises. In such moments of waiting, it’s often tempting to think that God has forgotten us.

In Luke 1:54, Mary sings a song of praise and proclaims that God has remembered his people. God “remembered” His mercy, covenant, and promises. When the Bible says that God “remembers,” it does not merely mean something is brought to God’s attention or that He forgot something. It means to fix your attention on something and act on it. In the Christmas story, we see God turning His attention to His promises and acting on them to fulfill His Word. We see God, in mercy, fixing His attention on us and acting on our behalf by sending Christ to save us. We can be encouraged and know that God has not forgotten us!

Journeying Together,

John

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