Highest Praise: A Message from the Angels at Christmas

Highest Praise: A Message from the Angels at Christmas
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 by Melissa McLaughlin

By Melissa McLaughlin

After waking and walking to the kitchen, I stood in reverent silence. A winter wonderland dazzled my eyes. Snow draped the branches in our backyard like a bridal veil. Fluffy whiteness clung to the trees.

A hand-painted masterpiece. God’s pearl-dipped brush traced out limbs and twigs, accenting each bare brown branch with a silvery sheen.

Quiet, soft, and pure.

A holy stillness hung in the air. I breathed in this magnificent sight. My soul marveled at the God who could make such unspeakable beauty.

Who is this God? What can we say to Him?

Meanwhile, mankind, with all our striving and boasting, cannot stop the snow. A collection of minuscule ice crystals. So tiny, they are difficult to see individually. Catch a snowflake on your tongue, and it melts in your mouth, like a popsicle on a summer day.

Each one so small and so easily dissolved.

Yet, God can bring the world to a halt and blanket the land for miles and miles with these minute miracles. Then, when sunshine glistens on the snow, it sparkles more radiantly than the grandest chandelier.

Adding to this, incredibly, each flake is unique, pointing to a God of infinite power and endless creative artistry. When we stop to marvel at even one six-sided snowflake, we see a Creator so far beyond us. A God of immeasurable glory and might.

What can we say to One so great?

Another way we contemplate God’s greatness is by reflecting on the biblical account of Christmas.

The past few weeks, we have pondered the angels who appeared at Christ’s birth as recorded in Luke 2, telling the people not to fear, for they brought good news: the Savior had been born.

As we study this Scripture passage again, may the Holy Spirit stir our hearts anew at God’s glory through the message of the angels.

Luke 2:8-14 (ESV) - And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Look up at the sky. Imagine, like the shepherds, seeing just one angel declaring heavenly news foretold by the prophets hundreds of years before you were born. A visit from a celestial being communicating with regular people. That was staggering enough.

Yet, once the first angel delivered the message, a whole host of angels appeared. Envision thousands upon thousands. Filling the skies. Filling the shepherds’ hearts with awe.

Once the angel spoke the words, heaven opened, poured forth, and rejoiced with earth. At that moment, a new chapter in God’s redemption plan had begun.

What can we say of news so great? What can we say to One so great?

Legions of otherworldly beings led the praises, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.”

May the strains echo in our hearts. “Gloria, in excelsis Deo!”

The Creator is worthy of our praise. He deserves the glory. He is supreme, unsurpassed, unrivaled, matchless. Glorious.

Remarkably, this Triune God sent part of Himself—Jesus Christ—to save the very people He created and share in heaven’s majesty forever.

God is doing the unthinkable. Healing the rift between a Holy God and His sinful people. Bridging the cosmic chasm formed in the sinful hearts of humanity in the Garden of Eden.

God is redeeming us. All who will believe.

What news could be greater than this? Let our hearts and voices join with the angels as we remember this Christmas.

With our lips and with our lives. May we give Him more than praise. May we give Him highest praise! Highest glory!

And may our small lives, when added together, blanket this earth with His glory.

Glory to God!

Glory to God in the highest!

For God is restoring peace with humanity through His Son.

Merry Christmas to you and your families!

P.S. Are you looking for a fresh way to read the Bible in the new year? Check out my book, The Whole Bible Devotional. Deepen your relationship with Christ through a big picture view of the Bible and Spirit-filled prayers. God bless you and your family in the new year!

Comments

Yvonne Morgan From Oklahoma At 12/27/2025 8:04:22 PM

I loved these messages on angels. Thanks for sharing. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Reply by: Melissa McLaughlin

Thanks for reading. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Yvonne!

Warren McLaughlin From Pennsylvania At 12/27/2025 4:29:17 PM

Snowflakes still amaze, every single time I see them. They seem so simple and ordinary yet complex and otherworldly at the same time. I'm thinking angels will never seem common, except in heaven. They must have had the beauty of snowflakes yet the terrifying weight of a blizzard.

Reply by: Melissa McLaughlin

Wow, such a powerful analogy. Snowflakes and angels. Both amazing and terrifying. May God give us eyes to see more of His amazing works - in physical and spiritual ways.

Jessica Brodie From SC At 12/26/2025 12:44:38 PM

Such truth here... as you ask, What can we say to One so great? Praise God for the gifts he gives us.

Reply by: Melissa McLaughlin

May our hearts erupt with praise! How great is our God!

Melissa Henderson From Mount Pleasant SC At 12/24/2025 7:53:42 AM

Merry Christmas to you and your family! God bless you all.

Reply by: Melissa McLaughlin

Merry Christmas to you and yours, dear friend! A blessed new year to you!

Bible Study
Join author and teacher, Melissa McLaughlin to discover the Truthful Grace and spiritual riches of studying God’s Word. Find joy in the knowledge of Jesus Christ through Biblical Growth and the life-changing truth of His Word.

Highest Praise: A Message from the Angels at Christmas
Melissa McLaughlin
12/23/2025

What Did the Angels Say at Christmas? Part 3
Melissa McLaughlin
12/15/2025

What Did the Angels Say at Christmas? Part 2
Melissa McLaughlin
12/8/2025

What Did the Angels Say at Christmas? Part 1
Melissa McLaughlin
12/1/2025

Why God Made Us For Himself
Melissa McLaughlin
10/26/2025

Be Still and Know that I am God
Melissa McLaughlin
10/13/2025

How is the Holy Spirit Like Oil?
Melissa McLaughlin
10/6/2025

How is the Holy Spirit Like a Dove?
Melissa McLaughlin
9/30/2025

How is God's Spirit Like Fire?
Melissa McLaughlin
9/22/2025

The End of the Line with Jesus
Melissa A. McLaughlin
8/25/2025

How Does the Ark of the Covenant Point to Christ
Melissa McLaughlin
8/11/2025

What Does it Mean to be a Citizen of Heaven?
Melissa McLaughlin
8/3/2025