For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isaiah 57:15 Some congregations today omit hymns …
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
And the angel told Joseph, “The child within [Mary] was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21 (NLT) The birth of a child is a holy moment. As the word holy suggests, it’s a sacred event, set apart …
Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30 As we gather around Thanksgiving Day tables, many will be thankful for the sumptuous food set before them. But as Christians, our thankfulness focuses on spiritual blessings. We’re thankful for who we’ve become in Christ and for all God has given us. We did nothing to …
Now Thank We All Our God
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed but not in despair. 2 Corinthians 4:8 (NIV) On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus reminded His disciples that hardship and disappointment are inevitable: “In this world, you will have trouble” (John 16:33). I wonder, then, why we so often act as if life should be carefree. Consider …
O Little Town of Bethlehem
“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.” Matthew 2:6 As a child, I grew older but not much taller. Even my baby brother passed me in height. I was called “the runt …