Psalm 149:2-5 (NIVUK)
2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with tambourine and harp.
4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with victory.
5 Let his faithful people rejoice in this honour
and sing for joy on their beds.
Luke 2 says that after seeing the baby Jesus, ‘The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.’ Behind the restrained language of glorifying and praising, the shepherds celebrations were a whole lot more energetic and ‘undignified’. I suspect they were shouting, dancing, singing – having a party, basically – as they celebrated what God had done. In other words, they lived out these verses from Psalm 149.
This Christmas, I’m going to party Lord. I’m going to party in celebration not of buying and giving, or in search of pleasure, but to celebrate you and your wonderful love!
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