Advent
December 24, 2014

Scripture Reading: Psalm 148

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!
Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!

Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and women alike, old and young together!  

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted;
   his glory is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful,
   for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the Lord! — Psalm 148:1-2, 9-14

I was sitting in my recliner watching the weather, which was reporting that a huge thunderstorm was headed my way with the possibilities of a tornado. The day outside looked calm in the late evening with the sun beginning to set. My dog, Micah, was asleep on my lap. He was never afraid of storms. Even though it looked find outside my window, he suddenly awoke and jumped to the floor with every hair on his back standing straight up. I grabbed him and ran for a safer part of my house. We had barely gotten settled when golf ball size hail began to pound against my roof and broke out all the windows on the west side of my house. I thought of Micah, who died a few years ago, when I read this scripture that includes references of animals praising God. Even though the prophets had foretold the coming of the Messiah, the sheep on that hillside near Bethlehem were most likely the first beings to know that something very special was happening the night of Jesus’ birth. Their reaction is probably what alerted the shepherds to pay attention.

God created all animals with instincts that serve to protect them from danger including us human beings. He also blessed us with some advanced abilities to reason and analyze both very good traits. There are times though when we may miss the mysteries of God with us, if we do not ride the waves of faith that lift us to the higher ground of God’s incarnation.

This Christmas Eve, whether in corporate worship, family worship, or individual worship, let us spend some time just resting in God’s love and marveling at God’s mysterious salvation.

Prayer: Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Amen.