The Word has given us all that we have. The Word has given us life itself, and this creation that we live in. When this world was plunged into darkness, the Word broke in with the light of salvation. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ, and He hung upon the cross to pay the required price of our sin, then rose again to conquer the darkness of death. Now, even today, the Word comes to us to bespeak us righteous, to give us all that was won through the cross and empty tomb. For all that, as Martin Luther says in the Small Catechism, “it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.”
“Give us lips to sing Thy glory, tongues Thy mercy to proclaim, throats that shout the hope that fills us, mouths to speak Thy holy name. Alleluia, alleluia! May the light which Thou dost send fill our songs with alleluias, alleluia without end!”
The Word has shone light into our darkened hearts; now that light shines forth from our hearts into the lives of others. Thy strong Word bespeaks us righteous; it has been spoken into our ears, with the power to forgive our sins and make us righteous, now that Word goes out from our lips to those around us. God’s Word has power; it does what it says. When we speak words of forgiveness to a fellow sinner, when we tell them of the redemption of Jesus Christ, we have confidence that the Word will do its work, that the Word will make things happen. This is the life of a Christian; God does mighty things for us through His Word, and then we go forth singing His praises and proclaiming His salvation to those around us. Alleluias ring forth from those redeemed by the Word made flesh, alleluias that have no end!
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