The Rev. Michael Haddox ‘12, Youth Pastor, Meridian Presbyterian Church, Butler, Pa.
Scripture
Psalm 146
1 Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD!
Devotional
Christmas is a time of anticipation. For some of us, it is a desired present, visits and dinners with family, or that long awaited winter holiday. For those of us in the church, we celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, and eagerly anticipate his second coming. However, for many of us, the preparation is only for a season. As January rolls around, it will be back to our regular routines.
The Psalmist reminds us to praise the LORD, not just for what God did or will do, but for what God is doing, made known through the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Through the power of the spirit, Jesus is still active today.
To prepare for Christmas is to abandon our plans and bear witness to Jesus, not just as a baby, or one who will come again, but to the man Jesus who reigns for us.
Prayer
Father, open our eyes, that we may see the presence of Jesus in our midst, and have to courage to faithfully and continually reflect his love and grace to those around us.
In the name of Jesus, Amen.