When was the last time you broke out into a song because you couldn’t contain your joy? Was it when you looked at a newborn baby, so delicate, tiny fingers, features fresh? Was it when you asked your spouse to marry you and the response was, “Yes!” Perhaps when you found your sins forgiven?
Why ask? Well for many we fill the Christmas season with songs of praise. This year Christmas songs began long before Thanksgiving. Sounded strange to me, I grumbled at it, yet they continued anyway. So, we have heard songs of snow, songs of the wonder of Christmas and various other winter tunes less focused on Joy, yet the happiness leaks out.
Instead of hearing, “Merry Christmas” or “Jesus is the Reason for the Season”, many greetings are focused to tell you Holiday Greetings for fear of upsetting someone or be found politically incorrect. For those who might be upset. I have three words for you. Get over it!
This is a holiday for the believers in Jesus Christ, promised Messiah. He has come for us! We take time to stop what we are doing and give our praise. We share an evening together called Christmas Eve Family Communion. We gather as family units and celebrate the Birth of Christ and its significance to us.
Yes, a day of family celebration giving gifts of love as reminders of our God who, gave us His best on this very special day. Few of the complainers have ever refused to take a day off with pay on that holiday. Frankly they would be upset if not receiving the day off and a Christmas bonus as well.
Why the songs of joy? It was expressed as “exceeding great joy” in the scriptures. That, my friend, goes far beyond our comprehension, far beyond most of our understanding. To think, that the Son of God, would come to earth, slip into the poverty of mankind amazes me. The King who had it all, gave it up to live and walk our planet. Then allowed His own creation to nail Him to a tree, hang there in agony and die in our place because that was the only way to bring resolution to our sin problem.
Hallelujah, what a savior! Whether we sing “Away in the manger no crib for His head,” or Silent Night, Holy Night, each song should be sung in awe that God would make an entrance into this broken world and for thirty three years inhabit our planet and then, send the comforter, to pick up where He left off.
If you can’t get up a good reason to sing with joy after that, go back to the cross and live there a while. Then come away with a song in your heart and pass it along! You can do that can’t you?
