Daily Devotional for Sunday, December 7

The Praise of Elisabeth to God

“And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: and she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,” Luke 1:41, 42.

Now that we are well into December they are not hard to find. Nativity scenes. Although the Santa sightings outnumber the Nativity scenes ten-to-one, the stable and its familiar occupants bring warmth to the soul of the believer that never gets old.

The Nativity scene is best understood as a worship experience. The emotion evoked in the heart of the believer by this scene is the impulse to fall upon our knees and give praise to the Savior. The shepherds worshiped, as did the wise men when, later, they entered the house of Joseph and Mary as recorded in Matthew 2:11.

Today’s reading is also a description of a worship scene. Here, in the words and actions of Elizabeth, God is given His due praise for His mighty works.  Notice in verse 41 that Elizabeth’s response of worship was prompted by the Holy Spirit. Authentic worship is, at its core, a spirit-led experience. Jesus taught in Matthew 4:23 that true worshipers engage in spirit and in truth.

A.W. Tozer once said, “Worship is not about the person worshiping, but about the person being worshiped.” Elizabeth was not calling attention to herself but to God who did mighty things in her life and the life of Mary.

Notice that this worship scene did not unfold in a sanctuary, but in the daily course of life of a believer. While corporate worship is not to be neglected, worship is not to be confined to a single environment on one day out of seven. Like Elizabeth, worship should be a natural response to the great things God is doing in our lives.

PARTING THOUGHT

What is God doing in your life that is worthy of your praise? Are you offering it?

John Nations