Dear Amy,
What does true worship look like?
Many of the so-called worship songs we sing in church fall far short, often because there is a bit too much me in them. There are however some that emphatically do not, for example “Worthy is the Lamb” and “Here I Bow” and “He Who is Mighty”. I want to dwell in the latter today, because its bridge in particular is the epitome of true worship.
Now my soul magnifies the Lord
― Sovereign Grace Music, He Who Is Mighty
I rejoice in the God Who saves
I will trust His unfailing love
I will sing His praises all my days
Ironically there are three “I”s and two “my”s here, and yet this is in fact completely focused on the Lord. Singing this lifts me directly into his presence in joyous worship, losing myself in praise and awe and wonder⸺this is the real thing! And the heart of it is “my soul magnifies the Lord”.
This is taken from Mary’s song of praise, the Magnificat, her response to her cousin Elizabeth’s “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” after Mary’s humble acceptance of and joyful surrender to the Lord’s revelation to her (Luke 1:26-56).
Just consider what Mary had gone through. The archangel had appeared to her and told her she was going to be the unmarried mother of the Son of God. On a human level, consider the shame she would face⸺indeed, Joseph had in mind to break the marriage pledge quietly (Matthew 1:19). What was Mary’s response to the angel? That humble acceptance and joyful surrender:
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
― Luke 1:38
No wonder the angel had said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God.“ (Luke 1:30).
The Greek word translated magnify is megalunō, and is the same word translated shown in the following:
Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
― Luke 1:57-58
The magnifying here is that of the Lord himself making known his great mercy⸺the character and person of God being revealed and made known⸺and the only right response is one of praise.
So what does it mean, “my soul magnifies the Lord”? Simply that all that is within me, the very core of my being, reveals and makes known and honours the character and person of God, and is aligned in love and praise and worship and affirmation that the Lord is great and so worthy of praise. This is what we were created for by our Heavenly Father who knows us and loves us beyond understanding, and it is incomparably joyous.
May your soul magnify the Lord, Amy, and may you rejoice in the God who saves! 🙏