The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. (Luke 2:20)
So, this is me being vulnerable (which isn’t the most comfortable thing for me) but I’m just not that into it this year. Usually, I am all decorated the week of Thanksgiving and have a strategy for Christmas gifts. I start baking in November. I’m all wrapped a week or two before Christmas, and all the Christmas carols I listen to all month long make me cry. I love Christmas….but this year, I’m just not feeling it. Isn’t that terrible? Anybody else like that this year?
As I was reading the Christmas story over and over in all the gospels, a recurring theme popped up. And they praised God. Elizabeth’s response to the news of her pregnancy was praise. Zechariah’s first words (after he named the baby, of course) were praise. Mary praised God. Simeon praised God. Anna praised God. The Shepherds praised and glorified God. Worship was a recurring theme…..the response from all involved in this miracle was praise.
Of course they praised God! Of course they worshiped! Look at the amazing thing that is happening! Jesus was born! Miracles were happening! They were experiencing the presence of God! What else would you expect?
Only, praise is not a feeling – it’s a choice. They were praising God in response to an amazing event…an amazing miracle! But whether you are in the highest high of your life or the lowest low, the fact that praise is a choice is the same. They didn’t worship because they HAD to. They worshiped because they CHOSE to.
All praise is an ACT! Praise happens when you CHOOSE to express through the flesh what is happening in your heart. Whether it is in speaking praise, singing praise, shouting, lifting your hands, dancing, bowing down…or whatever the ACT through the flesh is…..it is all a choice. It is a conscious decision that He is worthy, He has done great things, and I am going to respond in praise.
The good news is you don’t have to feel anything to worship!!!!! Say this with me now, “My feelings lie to me!” Yes…they do. You don’t have to feel anything to know God is with you. You don’t have to feel anything to know He is working on your miracle behind the scenes for you. You don’t have to feel anything to praise and worship and mean it!
Our feelings lie to us, and yet we let them. We give them so much power over what we do and how we act and what we say! Our feelings haven’t earned the right to tell us what to say. To tell us how to act. To tell us whether or not to praise and worship our King!
Maybe you are like Mary and Zechariah and the Shepherds – you have something wonderful happening in your life and you are just full of praise! Go ahead….praise Him! Maybe you are like me (and King David in Psalm 103) and you are having to tell yourself “I don’t care what you feel…..you are going to bless the Lord, O my soul!!!!!!”
Let’s set aside our feelings and worship Him…Not just because of something He has done or we are believing Him to do…but because He was born and lived and died and rose again! Because He has washed us and changed us and recreated us and lives in us! Just because He is worthy. O come let us adore Him….just because He is Christ the Lord!
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits: (Psalm 103:1-2)