Christmas songs have been on the radio since early November. We drive along trying to get in the holiday spirit amidst the long lines, traffic, and hustle and bustle of the season. Honestly, I never knew quite what hustle and bustle meant. Is someone dancing the hustle while wearing a bustle…I need to Google this. Anyway, the rush is on and by now, I’m growing weary of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and every singer known to mankind doing a version of “The Christmas Song.” Does anyone roast chestnuts on the open fire anymore? If Jack Frost nips at anyone’s nose these days he’ll get pepper sprayed followed by a lawsuit. Oh, the world…the weary world.
It makes me think of one of my favorite songs, “O’ Holy Night.” The words of this classic so beautifully capture the predictive moment when mankind was visited by the miraculous…a Savior was born. The condition of humanity is described and then of all the words, these stand out to me: "'til He appeared and the soul felt its worth." What an arrow to the heart!
Until Jesus appeared in my life, I had no idea of my worth. The mere idea that I was loved so much that death would be a willing exchange for me was beyond my mortal comprehension and still is. However, I accept this by faith and receive it in love with gratitude that I can’t humanly express.
This I know, especially this time of year, there is no amount of money, no diamond big enough, no car elite enough, no house fancy enough, nor closet full enough to even begin to match the true worth the soul feels at His appearing. May I also add, there is no other person that can give you worth - it grows from the inside knowing that Jesus took our insignificance and replaced it with His significance. He made us worthy!
His appearing didn’t happen just one holy night. His appearing comes at the mention of His name, the thought of His love divine, the quoting of His transformative Word, and the carrying on of His ministry to “the least of these.” He comes to the heart that belongs to Him and that’s just it…He comes now because He came then and because He did, a weary world still rejoices, “O’ night divine, O night when Christ was born.” Divine is the only word that could describe it.