"Thank the Lord! Praise His name!
Tell the nations what He has done.
Let them know how mighty He is!
Sing to the Lord, for He has done wonderful things.
Make known His praise around the world.
Let all the people of Jerusalem shout His praise with joy!
For great is the Hole One of Israel who lives among you." - Isaiah 12:4b-6 NLT
"I will shout for joy and sing your praises,
for you have ransomed me." - Psalm 71:23
"Send out your light and your truth;
let them guide me.
Let them lead me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you live.
There I will go to the altar of God,
to God - the source of all my joy." - Psalm 43:3-4 NLT
"The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them." - Luke 2:20 NLT
What a sweet, simple, yet profound line. During this season especially, we tune our hearts and voices to sweet hymns for the One who is the source of all our joy. The Psalms themselves aren't just lyrical writings, but songs that were written to praise God, to remind themselves of all God had done for them, and even to come before God in honest lament and doubt. The Psalms express the whole spectrum of human emotion, and God not only can handle them all, but cherishes every outburst of joy and every tearful sigh.
The Christmas carols also express, unlike anything else, the beautiful mystery and wonder of Jesus coming as a baby, fulfilling dozens of prophecies spoken throughout the Old Testament, and freeing all humanity from fear and shame. What wonder!
Let these sweet hymns of joy fill your hearts this season as we continue to deep dive through some of the lyrics. Let the joy and light the fills this season bring praise to your lips. The holidays are hard for some, and in some ways for all, but today, let's focus our hearts on God's presence, power, and the provision He has shown in our lives. Let's dwell on the "already" of the "already and not yet" of God's Kingdom.
What joys has God blessed you with lately?
How can you spread some of your joy like sweet hymns to everyone you interact with this season?