Today is the sixteenth day of Advent. Our word for today is "Praise."Notice, if you, will the praise that went up to God surrounding the birth of Jesus. (all Scripture quotations are taken from the ncv)
Matt 2:10 When the wise men saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They came to the house where the child was and saw him with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Notice here that the Wise Men worshiped or praised Christ.
Luke 1:46 Then Mary said,
“My soul praises the Lord;
47 my heart rejoices in God my Savior,
48 because he has shown his concern for his humble servant girl.
From now on, all people will say that I am blessed,
49 because the Powerful One has done great things for me.
47 my heart rejoices in God my Savior,
48 because he has shown his concern for his humble servant girl.
From now on, all people will say that I am blessed,
49 because the Powerful One has done great things for me.
Here Mary praises God upon her visit to Elizabeth, her cousin, who was to give birth to John the Baptist.
Luke 1:67 Then Zechariah, John’s father, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to help his people and has given them freedom.
69 He has given us a powerful Savior
from the family of God’s servant David.
because he has come to help his people and has given them freedom.
69 He has given us a powerful Savior
from the family of God’s servant David.
Notice here that after the birth of John, Zechariarh praises God.
14 “Give glory to God in heaven,
and on earth let there be peace among the people who please God.”
and on earth let there be peace among the people who please God.”
The angels praise God at their announcement of the birth of Christ before the shepherds.
20 Then the shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything they had seen and heard. It had been just as the angel had told them.
The shepherds praise God after they witnessed the new born Savior in the manger.
Luke 2:28 Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God:
29 “Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant,
die in peace as you said.
30 With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,
31 which you prepared before all people.
32 It is a light for the non-Jewish people to see
and an honor for your people, the Israelites.”
die in peace as you said.
30 With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,
31 which you prepared before all people.
32 It is a light for the non-Jewish people to see
and an honor for your people, the Israelites.”
When, after forty days, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple, Simeon thanked or praised God for the Christ child.
Luke 2:36 There was a prophetess, Anna, from the family of Phanuel in the tribe of Asher. Anna was very old. She had once been married for seven years. 37 Then her husband died, and she was a widow for eighty-four years. Anna never left the Temple but worshiped God, going without food and praying day and night. 38 Standing there at that time, she thanked God and spoke about Jesus to all who were waiting for God to free Jerusalem.
There at the Temple the prophetess, Anna, thanked or praised God for the Christ child.
Finally we must say that true praise does not happen when things are going our way. The greatest praise often comes from our sense of spiritual and/or physical poverty and need.
Habukuk 3:17 Fig trees may not grow figs,
and there may be no grapes on the vines.
There may be no olives growing
and no food growing in the fields.
There may be no sheep in the pens
and no cattle in the barns.
18 But I will still be glad in the Lord;
I will rejoice in God my Savior.
and there may be no grapes on the vines.
There may be no olives growing
and no food growing in the fields.
There may be no sheep in the pens
and no cattle in the barns.
18 But I will still be glad in the Lord;
I will rejoice in God my Savior.
The prophet is saying, even if everything I depend on fails, I will still praise the Lord.
When you're up against a struggle
That shatters all your dreams
And your hope's been cruelly crushed
By Satan's manifested scheme
And you feel the urge within you
To submit to earthly fears
Don't let the faith your standing in
Seem to disappear
Praise the Lord
He can work through those who praise Him
Praise the Lord
For our God inhabits praise
Praise the Lord
For the chains that seem to bind you
Serve only to remind you
That they drop powerless behind you
When you praise Him by the Imperials
That shatters all your dreams
And your hope's been cruelly crushed
By Satan's manifested scheme
And you feel the urge within you
To submit to earthly fears
Don't let the faith your standing in
Seem to disappear
Praise the Lord
He can work through those who praise Him
Praise the Lord
For our God inhabits praise
Praise the Lord
For the chains that seem to bind you
Serve only to remind you
That they drop powerless behind you
When you praise Him by the Imperials
If you are not a Child of God, through faith in His Son, the Savior, you can turn to Him today and receive Him into your life.
If you are a believer, determine to praise Our God, regardless of what is going on in your life, or in the nation or the world.
WHEN YOU CAN DO NOTHING ELSE, YOU CAN PRAISE HIM!
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