“Sing to the Lord a New Song”  Isaiah 42:10

“Those who want to sing always find a song.”  Swedish Proverb

How are your Christmas preparations coming along?  What are you doing?  In addition to all of the shopping and bopping are you stopping . . . to sing?

One of the highlights of this past week for me was going to watch my daughter sing.  She was doing a performance with her band.  It wasn’t a Christmas concert, but rather one in which they performed original songs that had kind of a “country rock” feel to them that she had written.  I loved listening—even though they were unfamiliar and it was so loud that I had to wear my earplugs.  And I loved watching!  Watching her animation and gyrations as she played guitar and sang.  And watching the crowd as they moved to the music.  It was SO uplifting.  I wished I had known them so that I could’ve sang along!

This is a season to be uplifted . . .  and to sing.   Singing is what people do!  It is magical how lifting the voice in song can lift one’s spirits!  Singing is what God’s people do!  It is miraculous how lifting the voice to God can lift one’s spirit—and fill one with The Spirit! 

Mark Twain said once that he didn’t want to go to heaven, because he had heard Christians singing on earth and he didn’t want to spend an eternity listening to that noise.  Well, that might be partially true, but I tend to think that the sweetest sound that God hears is that of God’s children singing!  I imagine it like the parent who is filled with joy when listening to their little one break out spontaneously with songs they’ve made up.

Some of the most familiar and favorite hymns are those we sing at Christmas time.  What are some of yours?

Sometimes its really hard to sing.  Life becomes oppressive and our hearts are heavy and we are left wallowing in our own worries and we wonder why in the world we are in this place, and what in the world God is doing, if anything!  It is then, especially then, when we feel as if there’s no reason to rejoice, that we need to sing.  It is especially important when we don’t FEEL like singing, that we sing.  That we force our will to pick a favorite song and begin to sing.  A wonderful thing will most likely happen:  Our feelings will follow.  Our spirits will be lifted.  Our day will be brightened.  Our perspective will be changed.  Life and the world won’t look as dark and dreary as it did just a few minutes before. 

Sometimes, in order to sing, we need to follow our will, not our feelings.  And sometimes to make that happen we need to listen to the songs of others—not people, but nature.  Did you know that nature sings?  Have you heard it?  The birds, certainly!  Every morning they greet the day with song!  But above and beyond the birds the heavens declare the glory of the Lord.  Nature sings in sunrises and sunsets and in budding blossoms and blooming trees and fragrant flowers and buzzing bees!  And nature even sings in the silence of the snowfall!  As we immerse ourselves in nature, and listen to the everlasting song of God in creation, we can’t help but rejoice . . . and sing!

What songs are your favorite at Christmas?

When was the last time you sang as if no one was listening . . . except God?

Will you take time this Christmas season to listen to the song of creation?  If so, where will you do it and how?

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her king. Let every heart, prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven, heaven and nature sing.”

“Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains, and the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strains.”