It started off cold, and so (although I know it breaks the Thanksgiving rules) I decided to listen to Christmas radio on my drive to work.
This came on:
And I was overwhelmed. So overwhelmed. I've been reading the Bible through this year. Well, I started around Easter this year. I feel like I've been stuck in the Old Testament prophets for ages. And I'm telling you. It's depressing. Seriously depressing. I've always loved the book of Isaiah--but I guess I never read it from start to finish before--because I had no idea that 9/10ths of the book was doom and gloom and how horrible God's children were. And then the minor prophets just get worse. They're all depressing with ONE SENTENCE of hope tossed in. Maybe I'm revealing my lack of spirituality. I don't know. But I've been dying to get into the New Testament (which should be any day now).
Anyhow. So I'm driving to work and this song comes on. And I just became overwhelmed with thankfulness. I tried to explain this to Charlie earlier, and I couldn't get it out right. But it was like I've been feeling the anticipation Israel must have felt--years of depression and feeling so far from God--and just waiting and anticipating what God was going to do. It was like I saw with clear eyes what Christ's birth accomplished--how meaningful it was--and is. And I cried. The rest of the way to work. Thankfulness welled up inside of me.
O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appeared 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!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains He shall 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!
Their name forever praise we
Noel, Noel
O night, O night divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O night divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O holy night
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appeared 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!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains He shall 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!
Their name forever praise we
Noel, Noel
O night, O night divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O night divine
Noel, Noel
O night, O holy night
Then, Speaking of slavery and ceasing oppression. This happened.
Ask me about it sometime.
Great post! And I can TOTALLY relate to that! It's been forever since I've read anything (besides 1 and 2 Samuel recently) from the OT. The entire last year I haven't been able to get out of the NT, but you are inspiring me to go back! It's probably a good thing I haven't been reading all of the gloom and doom, though ;)
ReplyDelete