Thursday Devotional - Joy to the World! 12/15/22

We just sang this last night before bed! Most nights we try to sing a Christmas Carol together when we do our evening Bible reading and prayer. A different kid gets to pick the carol each day. This year, the top pick has been Joy to the World! It is one of my favorite Christmas hymns because it truly expresses excited celebration of Jesus, our King and Savior!

Isaac Watts wrote the words to this hymn in 1719, at the age of 45. It was part of a huge work he wrote “The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, and Applied to the Christian State and Worship.” Isaac Watts saw how much David praised the Lord through song (in the Psalms) and knew we as New Testament believers have much more for which to praise God, having received Jesus!!!

Psalm 28:6-7

⁶ Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.
⁷ The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him.

How will you and I truly worship God with joy (for who He is and what He’s done through Jesus)? Let our joy be contagious this time of year!!!

Alice 

Thursday Devotional - Angels We Have Heard on High Celebrates 160 years! - 12/1/22

 Luke 2:13-14       Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

The angels appeared to the shepherds to tell them the “good news of great joy” about the Messiah’s birth. I wonder if this passage in Luke influenced the writing of this Christmas carol. It was originally written in French, by an unknown author, and later translated into English in 1862 by James Chadwick. So, this year is the 160^th (English translation) anniversary!!!  

Gloria, in excelsis Deo! was not translated. It is Latin for “Glory to God in the highest.”

Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high

Sweetly singing o’er the plains

And the mountains in reply

Echoing their joyous strains

CHORUS: Gloria, in excelsis Deo! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?

Why your joyous strains prolong?

What the gladsome tidings be

Which inspire your heavenly song? Chorus

Come to Bethlehem and see

Him Whose birth the angels sing;

Come, adore on bended knee,

Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Chorus

See Him in a manger laid

Jesus Lord of heaven and earth;

Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,

With us sing our Savior's birth. Chorus

How are (or how will) you and I give glory to God this Christmas season?

We can publicly and verbally give Him praise and glory in our conversations to others, just like the angels did!