Sunday 17 December 2017

Praise

Praise
As I write this Christmas is just a week or so away. Most scholars agree that December twenty-fifth was not the actual birth day of Jesus. That however does not matter. What matters is that we celebrate the birth of Jesus. The most momentous day in history.
The day when God chose to enter His creation in order to point mankind to the eternal life He offers so freely to those who would believe in Him.
Luke’s gospel records Mary the mother of Jesus as praising God saying,
“And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. 
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Luke1:46-50.
Think of this from Mary’s perspective. While Mary was as they say very human, she must have had deep faith in God for Him to trust her to care and bring up Jesus in the ways of God.
   Of all the women in Israel she was chosen. An incredible blessing for her. A tribute to her faith in God.
I think it must have taken sometime for her to understand the ramifications of the situation.
Even after her visit to her cousin Elizabeth she could not possible understand what the future for the child she would give birth to would be like.
Mary however it seemed lived in the moment. She praised God for what was happening to her at that moment. She was to give birth to the Messiah. And she praised God for the honour. She called out,
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.”
As believers in Christ Jesus with Christmas approaching we should be glorifying God.
The Psalmist wrote,
“Praise the LORD. 
Praise God in his sanctuary;
 praise him in his mighty heavens. 
Praise him for his acts of power; 
praise him for his surpassing greatness. 
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, 
praise him with the harp and lyre, 
praise him with tambourine and dancing, 
praise him with the strings and flute, 
praise him with the clash of cymbals, 
praise him with resounding cymbals. 
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 
Praise the LORD. 
                                                                  Psalm 150.
If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, why not take sometime right now to praise the Lord.
Please think about it.

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