The Praises of Christmas – Advent Week I – Praise of Faith in Uncertainty
“Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”
Luke 1:38
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my saviour.”
Luke 1: 46, 47
The Praises of Christmas: Praise of Faith in Uncertainty
It is that time of year again! It is a time of mystery and majesty and sparkles and rejoicing. A time that I always picture in my mind as a clear, crisp night, dark but lit up with the beauty of a million sparkling stars, and a song of praise in the air! Christmas is many things to many people and in the time we are living, as Christians, we need to search our hearts and minds to be certain that we know why we are celebrating. It is not just a time for parties and gifts, for material things and pleasures that only last for a season. For Christians, Christmas is a time of reflection and wonder, rejoicing and celebration and time set aside with loved ones. But the pleasure that we derive is not just for a season but for eternity through the precious gift of that Baby, Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, God in the form of a baby, sent to earth from the Heavenly Father.
Praises Of The Season
This advent season I would like for you to take a journey with me through the Praises of the Season. As we read through the Christmas narrative in the Word of God we see examples of many of the main characters praising the Lord. Each praise is unique and individual, just as the character and their situations are unique and individual. I believe that as we take this journey together and set aside the time to reflect and see the Lord, we will learn a valuable lesson in praising the Father, not only in the advent season but also throughout the year.
The Message
Let’s start with the beautiful praise that comes forth from Mary. Let’s review. Mary is a young girl, a virgin, betrothed to Joseph, but yet unmarried. She is visited by the angel Gabriel who announces: “Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among woman!”… “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”…”The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” …”For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1: 28, 31-33, 35, 37
WOW! Can you even begin to imagine the thoughts and emotions that Mary went through as she heard this angel tell her that she was “with child” and that this was not any child, but the Son of God? Can you imagine the excitement, then the questions, then the fear? What will Joseph think? What will my parents think? Will they believe me when I tell them about the angel and the baby? Will life ever be normal again? How can I be a mother to the Son of God?!
The Response
However, what comes out of Mary’s mouth in response to the angels’ visit is not fear or worry or a list of questions. When she opens up her mouth it is filled with praise and submission to the Will of the Father for her life. “Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1: 38
We may think, “Well, she hasn’t had time to think about the situation, she is caught or up in emotions”…..but her praise doesn’t stop there, it is just beginning! Mary quickly travels to visit Elizabeth, whom the angel has indicated is also to bear a son. Elizabeth who is advanced in years and barren! Oh the mighty hand of God!
As Mary greets Elizabeth, the babe in Elizabeth’s womb “leaps” and Elizabeth herself is filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking forth praise onto God. At this point in time, the reality of Mary’s situation has truly begun to hit home. Surly she has talked with Joseph and her family about the impending birth and surely she has felt the weight of their questions. Surely by now, others are aware of her pregnancy and she has likely endured stares ranging from pity to outrage. And in seeing for herself the effect of the hand of God on Elizabeth – causing one who was barren to conceive…..Mary must be beginning to understand the power of God to follow through with that which He had told her through the angel Gabriel. If there had not been time to “think it through” before or emotions had gotten the best of her, we can rest assured, that by now the reality of her situation has settled in. So if Mary’s earlier praise was a result of naiveté or emotionalism, then we would expect Mary’s praise to turn to bitterness and questioning?
Mary's Song
But what we hear coming from the lips of this young girl, who find herself in the middle of a complicated situation made more challenging with the responsibility she has to bear, is a song of praise:
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed
For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And Holy is His name.
And his mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the sick He has sent away empty.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,
As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
Luke 1:47-55
How Beautiful Are the Praises of The Lord
How beautiful are the praises of the Lord on the lips of His people!
This Advent season will you join with me to take a moment each day and reflect on how we praise the Lord in complicated times, times of adversity or times of uncertainty? Are we able to open our mouth and praise the Lord because He has regarded us? Are we able to praise Him who is mighty for the great things He has done for us? Are we able to praise Him because he is Holy? Are we able to praise Him for His faithfulness? Are we able to praise Him because we walk in faith, believing that He knows the path that He has prepared for us?
This advent season, may we learn from the praises of Mary, that we too can open our lips and praise our Lord even in the midst (and probably most importantly, in the midst) of times of uncertainty because we believe that our Heavenly Father is faithful and true!
Let Us Pray Together
Mighty God, Holy One, we come before You at the beginning of this Advent season and ask that You guide and direct us through this journey of reflection on the praises of Christmas. There is so much to glean from Your Word and we know that if we ask, You will guide and direct our learning and grant revelation to our hearts and minds. So today, we ask! Teach us, Father, to open our lips and praise you at all times….especially in the midst of uncertainty as Your word tells us that You inhabit the praises of Your people. We ask this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen and Amen and Amen
Until next time,
From my heart to yours!
Laurie
