A Christmas Devotional

I don’t recall if it’s happened every time every year, but it’s happpened every time this year. This Christmas season I have yet to make it through “O Holy Night” without getting choked up. Whether I’m listening to the song on the radio or attempting to sing along at church, I can’t get all the words to form on my tongue because they get stuck in my heart. Usually tears even gather in my eyes.

It’s always been one of my favorite Christmas songs, but maybe I’ve never really taken the time to drink in the words the way I have this sacred season.

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

Till He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born;

O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,

Here come the wise men from the Orient land.

The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;

In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weaknesses no stranger,

Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Behold your King, Before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;

And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,

His power and glory evermore proclaim.

His power and glory evermore proclaim.

This year I find myself in awe of God’s love for His creation…for us…for me. I’m going to be gut level honest here. There have been times in the past few years when I have felt like such a loser. And whether those debilitating thoughts came from true humility or from a suffering self-esteem or from the pit of hell, the only genuine and lasting cure for such a low estimation of self is that “God so loved me that He sent His Son…”

I am not a loser. I am the reason Jesus left behind His royal robes and lay in a manger in swaddling clothes. I was worthy, in the King’s estimation, of sending His Son to live and die on this fallen earth. And I am worthy of His eventual return.

And you are not a loser either. You are loved and treasured and purchased at a high price. You have been set free, bought with a price. And Christmas, while it may humble you, should also remind you of your great value. Has your soul felt its worth? Has your weary heart rejoiced? That’s my prayer for you…that you would find your true value in the quiet miracle of that holy night.

As Christmas approaches my soul feels its worth and my weary heart rejoices. Christ has come to show us the everlasting, ever-reaching, unfathomable and unquenchable love of our God. And I’m embracing that love. I hope you do, too. And then, “let all within us praise His holy name” as we continue to worship our Savior during this sacred season.