"Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19).
As I was driving to a friend's house today, I turned on the radio and enjoyed some of the best music this holiday has to offer...Christmas carols. I started singing along, for I know so many by heart. You probably do too. But have you stopped lately to listen to what they're really saying? Of course, they all talk about the Christmas story--of Christ's birth in Bethlehem. But many carols are also packed with a personal message about an intimate walk with Jesus.
The first song our family sings to welcome the holiday season is "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." This is a beautiful prayer that invites Jesus into your heart, to bring you deliverance from sin. My husband always says this is more than a Christmas song and he's so right. This carol is a song of salvation!
O come, O come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.
God's church today is spiritual Israel, and the promises in His Word that once belonged to the ancient Hebrews now pertain to us. And just as Israel needed to be ransomed from her enemies long ago, we need the Lord to ransom us from the devil's power. Too often we give in to temptation and find ourselves enslaved by sin. "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slave... whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?" (Romans 6:16). But when we call out to Jesus, He delivers us from the power of darkness and leads us into the kingdom of His love. Colossians 1:13. He has already paid the ransom for our rescue. All I need to do is ask Him into my life and His gift of freedom will be mine.
Hark! the herald angels sing glory to the newborn King,
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!
Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them 2nd birth,
Hark! the herald angels sing glory to the newborn King.
I would say He constantly emptied Himself. Every day of His life was a walk of continual humility, of stepping down in order to lift someone up. He always thought of others first and lived to bless them. And He "laid His glory by" so that we could love like that! We can, you know. The Christian journey is the story of a resurrection. We were all dead in "trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1), but now Jesus is alive in us! To know Him is to walk as He walked (1 John 2:6). Because when I walk with Jesus, I'm not the same person anymore. I'm not looking out for me, myself and I. That old way of thinking and acting is gone! Because He's given me new life! He lives in me and I live in Him. And when I sing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" I celebrate new life. Not just the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. I also rejoice that Jesus has been born in my heart.
One of my favorite Christmas carols is "O Little Town of Bethlehem." I like to paint a picture of Bethlehem in my mind. I see a quiet night, with twinkling stars hovering over a sleeping city. Not far away are the rolling hills where a group of shepherds are sitting round a campfire, watching over their flock by night. This song flows with such gentleness and peace that I always end up praying afterwards. Because Jesus often speaks to me--more personally--when everything is still and in quietness I wait before Him. Bethlehem has become my picture of communion with Jesus.
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie,
above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark street shineth the Everlasting Light,
the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
For centuries, God's people had been waiting for the coming of the Messiah. Prophets had foretold His coming with prophecy and promise. But somehow along the way, the anticipation had grown dim and God's people neglected to keep the promises fresh in their minds. At least most of the people did. All of Israel should have known that the "fullness of time" had come and expected their Messiah with welcoming hearts. But very few were ready when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. So He came silently. God's gift of salvation comes quietly even now.
How silently, how silently, this wondrous Gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive Him still the dear Christ enters in.
Jesus comes quietly to our homes each morning, calling us to sit down with Him and rest awhile. We can't hear His footsteps, but He's there--knocking gently at the door of our hearts. He asks, "May I come in?" "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20). I hear that gentle knocking as I sing this Christmas carol and so many others. So, I think I'll keep on listening to these old carols. There's alot more to them since I've found new life with Jesus.
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