All in Praise
The Magi saw the star and believed a king was born. Their belief was life changing. They left behind the familiar and began a journey to find and worship this king. Belief in Jesus is always life changing! That which is familiar pales in light of seeking and worshiping Jesus Christ. The Magi teach us about worship, but first, let’s look at what they teach us about life-changing belief in Jesus.
Tonight a rare event is happening. Just after sunset on the southwestern horizon you can witness the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Though these planets will be millions of miles apart, they will appear to be almost touching. An alignment of these planets occurs approximately every 20 years. However, this conjunction is exceptional because of how close Jupiter and Saturn will appear. An alignment of this greatness hasn’t occurred since March 4,1226. Their closeness will create a radiant point of light that is being called the Christmas Star or Star of Bethlehem.
The line was long in the store where I was changing out my Wi-Fi router. All masked up and standing on the designated spot, I was practicing patience while waiting. Although I had been in the store earlier that day—two necessary trips to the store—I refrained from being frustrated.
King David brings a vulnerability to his prayers. We glimpse the heart of a poet as he pours out his thoughts to the Lord. I’ve spent several days meditating on the last verse of Psalm 138 and discovered great comfort. David confronted fierce battles once again. While fleeing from his enemies, he found solace in an important area of his understanding of God—God has a purpose for his life!
2020 has certainly thrown the world a curveball. Normalcy, where did you go? All you moms with kids at home, are you wondering what to do next? You working women, is virtual meeting all it was cracked up to be? I prune the azaleas in front of the house and neighbors from far and wide walk by. A man on a bike way-too-small pops a wheelie and impresses his son. Do you wish it would end, or are you loving the change of pace?
…And the glory of the Lord shone around them… (Luke 2:9). The glory of the Lord is the revelation of His being. Anytime God’s nature, character, and powerful deeds are revealed, His glory is manifest. And so, on the blessed night when God came to earth as an infant, His glory filled the heavens.
In the beginning God…(Genesis 1:1) Before time as we know it began, God was. Before time as we know it began, Jesus Christ was. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning (John 1:1). This Christmas season, we worship the Almighty, uncreated One! Jesus is the One who was, who is, and who is to come! (Revelation 1:8)
These are the beginning words of Mary’s praise to God for the child that would be born. She, a virgin, would conceive of the Holy Spirit and bear the Son of God—news so unexpected, so impossible, so humbling, and yet, so magnificent that Mary could not contain her praise.
I am writing, knowing that in a few weeks when this devotional is posted, I will already have company in my home. I know myself well. I will awaken early and quietly slip to my sunroom with coffee in hand to spend time with my Lord before everyone gets up. And yet, I also know that the list of things to be done will plague my thoughts, making it difficult to concentrate on God’s Word and to pray.
My heart soars when I watch a certain young man joyfully assist the worship minister rehearse with the choir before entering the sanctuary. His body bends over his crutches, yet he stands as if his posture was perfectly straight. His face reflects the joy and love of Christ with an unguarded smile. His eyes look to Heaven as he sings. Christ’s radiance on his face inspires me every time I see him. This man is famous to Jesus. Jesus is famous to this man.
As a teenager, we used to yell a cheer at sporting events, “Action, action, we want action! A-C-T (clap,clap,clap) I-O-N!”
As he took Jesus in his arms that day in the temple and praised God, Simeon must have experienced the greatest thrill of his life. Described as “righteous and devout”, he had been promised by the Holy Spirit he would not die until he saw the Christ. I can imagine he visibly trembled with excitement, electrified by the Spirit’s gripping revelation. You would too, to hold Jesus in your arms and know He was the Son of God.
Open your Bible to the middle and there you find the hymnbook of God—those inspired songs full of praises and prayers. God inspired the psalms for many reasons, but one important reason is to enhance the worship of His people.
