Unto Us

"and the government will be upon His shoulder"

Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas.  I wanted to share some words that have been especially sweet to me this Christmas season.  They are song lyrics, from two different songs.  One of them is "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," which was written in 1863 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  He wrote it on Christmas Day, at the close of a year that included both the serious wounding of his oldest son in the Civil War, and the death of his wife in a fire. 

The poem has a despairing tone to it, which is understandable when one knows the circumstances in which it was written.  But I think we can feel the same way, sometimes, when we look around at the world we live in today.

But the beauty of the poem, and the song, is that it takes on a tone of triumph and faith in God and His power.  It's a wonderful reminder that we believe in the victory He will bring.

The other song is a relatively new one.  It's called "Winter Snow" and it's on Chris Tomlin's album, "Glory in the Highest" and he sings it with Audrey Assad.  It compares Christ's coming to earth with the beauty of falling snow.

These two songs touched me this year, and they seem to complement one another, because the reason for our faith in Him (as sung about in the first song) is because we know His power and His incredible love for us (as sung about in the second song). 

I hope they bless you.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play

And wild and sweet

the words repeat

of peace on earth, good will to men

And in despair I bowed my head:

"There is no peace on earth," I said,

"For hate is strong and mocks the song

of peace on earth, good will to men."

Could've come like a mighty storm

With all the strength of a hurricane

You could've come like a forest fire

With the power of Heaven in your flame

You could've swept in like a tidal wave

Or an ocean to ravish our hearts

You could have come through like a roaring flood

To wipe away the things we've scarred

But You came like a winter snow

yes, You did

You were quiet,

You were soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

Your voice wasn't in a bush burning

Your voice wasn't in a rushing wind

It was still, it was small

it was hidden

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The wrong shall fail

The right prevail

With peace on earth, good will to men"

~

Celebrating with you ~ Mary's son, God's Son.... baby, yet Savior... King, to be crucified... For us He came.  Hallelujah!

~ "In that day 

"HOLINESS TO THE LORD" 

shall be engraved on the bells" ~

Zechariah 14:20

~