It seems like every time you turn around, someone is praising and worshipping God in the Christmas story.
When Mary visits Elizabeth? Praise every which way. Elizabeth declares, "when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what He has spoken to her!" (Lk 1:44-45)
Elizabeth offers praise, and the unborn John the Baptist dances and leaps for joy in her womb! Mary responds with a song of worship and praise of her own: "My soul praises the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior..." (Lk 1:46-47)
When John the Baptist is born and Zechariah's tongue is finally loosed, what's the first thing he does? "Immediately...he began to speak, praising God." (Lk 1:64) And then old Zechariah follows that up with a whole hymn of praise and thanksgiving himself: "Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and provided redemption for His people..." (Lk 1:68)
And then, of course, there were the angels, surely the most famous worship team ever! Here they are, appearing to a bunch of nobody shepherds in the middle of nowhere to announce the most astounding news ever. No sooner does the angel announce the coming of the Savior--the Rescuer--than "a multitude of the heavenly host"--meaning innumerable stunning, shining angelic beings filling the sky!--suddenly appear and begin, you guessed it, praising God. "Glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on earth to people He favors!"
Don't you wish you could've seen those shepherds with their eyes bulging and their mouths hanging open? Astonished. Awestruck. And single-minded in immediately seeking after this baby Messiah. After finding Him, they go tell everyone about Him...but they also--wait for it--worship. "The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told." (Lk 2:20)
Then a few weeks later, when Jesus is dedicated at the temple, there's old Simeon who "praised God" after seeing the salvation God had promised. (Lk 2:28-32). And ancient widowed Anna who "began to thank God and to speak about Him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." (Lk 2:38)
Worship and praise, start to finish. None of them knew the whole glorious story--how Jesus would go on to live the perfect life none of us could live. How He would die the death for sins that we deserved to die. How He would rise from the dead to give us new resurrection life. How He would give us His Holy Spirit to empower us, guide us, comfort us, correct us, encourage us, and walk with us every moment of every day. How He would take us to heaven to live with Him in glory forever and ever.
Nope, they didn't know all that...but based on the glorious Truth of the limited part they did know--that Almighty God had broken into His broken creation in order to send His Son to rescue His children--they worshipped and praised. Most of them were at the very beginning of the story. Most of them surely never knew, never saw the whole story unfold. They never saw the miracles...nor the crucifixion...nor the resurrection.
Yet no matter--they worshipped and praised, right where they were. Because they knew, they believed that God keeps His promises. That He is worthy. And that His Son would save and rescue...even if they wouldn't live to see it all happen.
So here's what I'm wondering: what's our excuse? Why aren't we relentlessly worshipping Almighty God? Why am I not tirelessly praising the Lord for sending Jesus--my Rescuer? We have so much more knowledge than those shepherds or Zechariah or Simeon or Anna. Yeah maybe our stories, like theirs--are imperfect and incomplete, but don't we know enough through God's Word and His Spirit that we can and should worship Him right where we are, right as we are? If they could, why not us?
We know that God inhabits the praises of His people. We know that worship not only glorifies God but brings us joy.
Max Lucado puts it this way: "Worship does to the soul what a spring rain does to a thirsty field. It soaks down, seeps in, and stirs life. Are you stressed? Worship God, who could store the universe in His pocket and the oceans in an eyedropper. Are you ashamed? Worship Jesus, whose love never fades. Are you bereaved? Open your heart to your Shepherd. He will lead you through the valley of sorrow. Do you feel small? A few moments in front of the throne of your loving King will evaporate any sense of insignificance. Worship works wonders. For your own sake do what the angels did: make a big deal about the arrival of the King."
God moves when we worship. The heavens dance when we praise. And our hearts sing when we magnify our Maker. So stop waiting for your story to tie up in a neat, perfect little bow. Stop wasting time staring at all those other lives at there and feeling inadequate. Stop worrying and start worshipping!
Because worship works wonders.
Today, right this very minute, no matter where you are in your story--whether in a hopeful place, a confusing place, a lonely place, a joyful place, or a sorrowful place--make the choice to worship and praise the glorious One who came down at Christmas....for you, for me--for our salvation, for our joy, for our hope, for our peace, for our rescue, for our redemption, and for our glory.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing. And heaven and nature sing. And heaven and heaven and nature sing.
Time to start singing! Now!
To God be the glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment