Psalm 101:1 I
will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise.
(NIV)
It’s that special time of year when we hear a lot of
wonderful songs that we have learned and loved each Christmas. Whether we’re in
church or at a mall, working at home or driving our car, we’re probably
listening to carols and popular songs which stir our feelings and cause us to
sing along with our favorite singers. As I write this, I’m listening to
crooners like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Bing Crosby sing some golden
oldies, as well as enjoying country singers like Reba, Shania Twain, and Dolly
Parton perform some well-loved hymns and new songs for Christmas. It’s a pleasant
experience and makes me thankful to God for the gifts and talents of both
singers and songwriters who keep alive the Spirit of Christmas.
Today’s highlighted Bible verse reminds us that our traditional
Christmas hymns celebrate God’s love and justice. As scripture elsewhere proclaims,
God loves humanity so much that He sent Jesus into the world to save us from
our sins and stop us being eternally separated from God. His justice is also
shown through the unmerited gifts of mercy and grace – God gives us more than
we deserve and accepts us more than we can ever achieve. So, when we hear or
sing the songs of Christmas, we can actually feel God’s delight in healing
humanity of unholiness and lovingly restoring us to His Kingdom.
Point to ponder
What is my favorite Christmas hymn? How does it
express to me God’s love and justice?
Prayer: Lord God, thank You for this wonderful time of
year when we celebrate the birth of Your Son and look forward to the moment
when He will return among us. Fill our hearts with Your favor and love to enable
us to share those gifts with everyone we encounter during this beautiful season
of joy and goodwill. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor
of Erin Presbyterian Church in
Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM –
you’ll be made very welcome. If you’ve felt blessed by this devotional, you can
make an online donation to the church at this link: Erin Gifts.
Today’s image is one of
John’s latest Christmas drawings called “Bliss.” If you would like to view a
larger version, please click this link: Bliss.
No comments:
Post a Comment