tidings of comfort and joy

Thursday, December 15, 2011 (11:26 p.m.)

♫God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen♫

Lord Jesus, I confess, I don’t even know what this means.

Friday, December 16, 2011 (5:37 a.m.)

I am happy to announce that I am not the only one confused by the wording of this wonderful Christmas Carol. In fact, after spending quite a bit of time following leads on the Internet I’ve read a variety of different ideas.

(6:36 a.m.)

Ace Collins wrote his interpretation of it in Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. Others dispute his findings. It’s April Lorier’s “rest in God’s joy” http://godwoman.blogspot.com/2010/12/meaning-of-god-rest-ye-merry.html that makes the most sense to me.

Jesus, thank You for taking me through the history of this particular Christmas song. Finding as many as seven verses describing Your birth, I turn to Your Word (Luke 2:1-20) and read of it there.

As I continue singing ♫O tidings of comfort and joy♫ it seems only fitting that I read comments of recovery as well. Because You were probably born in ‘a cold, damp, dark, dirty cave with a hollowed out feeding trough or manger’ (Life Recovery Bible) ‘we don’t have to clean up our act first in order to make room’ for You. How freeing is that?

The Scripture verses, as well as the song, quote the “Fear not” of the angel in verse 10. Followed by these comforting, beloved words “for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

‘When You come into our life, You accepts us as we are’. Thank You Jesus! We don’t have to try to be anything but who and what we are to witness Your glory.

♫And when they came to Bethlehem Where our dear Savior lay, They found Him in a manger, Where oxen feed on hay; His Mother Mary kneeling down, Unto the Lord did pray. O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy♫

The comment for verse 19, tells that Your blessed mother ‘shows us how thoughts about positive things can lift our spirits and give us the courage to take the next step. She meditated on the things God was doing and wanted to do in her life. When we do the same, we take a step toward recovery and wholeness. Pondering the joy with the sorrow, the awesome with the awful, the gain with the pain will lead to emotional and spiritual healing.’

Thank You Jesus for placing this particular carol so deeply inside me these past few days. Thank You for the opportunity to really research its origin and to TRULY sing its Truth. ♫Now to the Lord sing praises, All you within this place, And with true love and brotherhood Each other now embrace; This holy tide of Christmas All others doth deface. O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy; O tidings of comfort and joy♫

O yes Dearest Lord Jesus! Let me truly sing Your tidings of comfort and joy! Thank You. I love You. Amen.

507 words ~ 8:29 a.m.)