Praise The Lord, O My Soul!

December 25

Zechariah 5-6

Psalm 146

Proverbs 31:1-5

Revelation 16

Praise The Lord, O My Soul!

“Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord, O my soul!  I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being…Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made Heaven and Earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.  The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.  The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.  The Lord watches over the sojourners; He upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked He brings to ruin.  The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations.  Praise the Lord!”  Psalm 146:1-2, 5-10 ESV

On this Christmas morning, I invite you to spend some time praising our Father in Heaven.  Today we celebrate the birth of His Son.  The birth of any baby is a joyous occasion, but Jesus’ birth is beyond our comprehension.  It wasn’t just a blessed event for the baby’s parents and family, it was a blessing to the whole world then and for every generation following it.  The Creator of the universe, God Almighty sent His Son, Jesus, to Earth to live with us, to experience life as we do, and to face temptation and yet remain sinless. The plan was that Jesus would offer Himself as a sacrifice to pay the punishment for our sins.  He either helped God come up with the plan or He willingly agreed to it before He came.  He knew everything that was going to happen, that He would be rejected, how He was going to die and He loved us so much that He came anyway.  Jesus’ sacrifice is remarkable, but it is just as significant that God allowed His one and only Son to leave His throne in Heaven, come to Earth to live as a poor, ordinary carpenter and die a horrible, painful death for wretched, sinful humans who often don’t even appreciate what He  did for them.  There aren’t many people I would be willing to die for, but as a parent, I can’t fathom offering one of my children to die for anyone else. 

Our help is the God of Jacob and our hope is in the Lord God who loves us enough to give His only Son for us.  He is the One who provides justice to the oppressed, food to the hungry, freedom for the captives, and healing for the sick and injured.  He takes care of the humble, the foreigner, and the widows and orphans.  He protects us from our enemies and is faithful forever.  As you visit with family today, open presents, and enjoy some good food, take time to praise the Lord for the many blessings He has given you, but especially for the gift of His Son and for His incredible love for you.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 LSB