Tidings of Comfort and Joy (#80 of 365+)

“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, goodwill toward men!’” (Luke 2:13-14
NKJV)

The beauty of the Christmas holiday season brings out the love in my heart for the Lord Jesus Christ. I see him everywhere I look! Twinkling lights remind me of the Light of the world. The color red reminds me my redemption was paid for with Christ’s blood. A fresh covering of white snow reminds me he has made me clean in the Father’s eyes. When I see wonder in a child’s eyes I remember how much he loves our praise and adoration. When I place presents under the tree I thank God for the good gifts he’s given to me…

Have you ever been in love? You feel turned inside-out; your internal life (your thoughts and feelings) quickly becomes your external life (your words and actions). You just can’t keep your true feelings under wraps! Do the terms “wear your heart on your sleeve”, “walking on air”, or “a fool in love” sound familiar? I think I commented in a recent devotional about how the angels were bursting at the seams with news of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem. They just couldn’t contain themselves or their praise songs! Have you ever been so full of good news that you had to tell the first person you saw? Have you ever been so in love that you wanted to sing and shout?

In today’s devotional, Joni lamented the fact that Christmas carols—the songs that tell the story of Jesus Christ being born in this world—are rare to hear anymore. If you don’t believe it, listen closely the next time you’re at Wal-Mart or at the mall. Or flip through the public radio stations to find out what songs are being broadcast. Don’t get me wrong: I enjoy those silly songs about Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Frosty the Snowman… but what happened to the songs about Jesus Christ, the Person this holiday was named after in the first place?

Christmas carols, Christmas songs about Christ, are important because they tell the world about the God I love—the God who loves them more than they know! I’m going to assert my role as an American consumer, call a local radio station that plays “holiday” music 24/7, and request more Christmas songs about Jesus Christ.

“Hello? Yes, I’d like to dedicate a song to the One I love…”

Lord, thank you for loving me before I even knew you! I want to sing and shout about your love for the world this Christmas season. May my actions bring glory to your name. Amen.