Praise and Rejoicing

"I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people...Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others--the armies of heaven--praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in highest heaven...'" Luke 2:8-38

At a recent baptism of a new believer in Jesus, I was reminded about rejoicing angels. Jesus said that all of heaven rejoices whenever there is a soul saved. I love the words of a preacher at such a time who said, "Glory! We made a little noise in heaven today!" The angels also praise and rejoice being in God's presence. They also praise and rejoice at the works of God. Those are such special moments when we join them.

As Luke unpacks the arrival of Jesus, there is rejoicing and praising going on all over the place. Yep, the angels were right on cue and right on key with their praise. The shepherds skipped with joy back to their sheep with praise on their lips. Simeon couldn't contain his joy as prophetic praise poured out of his mouth. Anna, who was a prophet, took one look at Jesus and burst into praise. Apparently, it's kind of a big deal when God shows up.  

The world we live in is constantly offering alternatives for God to praise and rejoice in. Self. Others. Experiences. Accomplishments. Nature. It's a pretty long list. The angels have a pretty short list when it comes to their praise. So should we. When we misdirect our praise, we misdirect our lives. We were created to rejoice in God to praise Jesus for who he is and what he has done. It's in that place that we have proper perspective and proper footing within all the other parts and pieces of this crazy thing called life. 

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