God Rest Ye Merry!

You likely have not offered that greeting to anyone lately.  Unless you've participated in a Christmas play or some other drama set in a long-ago time period, it's not likely you have ever uttered that phrase.  You may have sung it in a Christmas carol without thinking much about what it means.

The carol "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" is not a tune about merry gentlemen.  Note the placement of the comma.  "God rest ye merry" was a common greeting in days gone by, used in much the same way as we might say "Have a nice day."

This is not a carol we sing as frequently as some others, but one which offers excellent advice to us as we are navigating life here in the 21st century.

"God rest ye merry."

"Let nothing you dismay".  Don't worry.  Don't be anxious.  Don't fret.  About anything.

You may be thinking.....How can I not worry?  You just don't know what I'm going through.  You don't know what I have to deal with.

And that's true.  I don't.  But I know One who does.

Consider the next line of the carol.  We have no need to be dismayed, to be worried, to be anxious, if we remember.  Remember what?

"Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day."  Stay focused on that truth.  Don't be distracted from that.  Don't be concerned that December 25 is likely not the day He was born.  We don't know the exact date.  The Bible doesn't tell us.  But we celebrate on December 25.  And on every day, really.  Christ was born.  That's the important point.

And why was He born?

"To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray."

Christ was born to save.  To save me.  To save you.  To save the nations.

That's good news.  Focus on that today.  Share that good news.  Live joyfully because of that good news.  Remember.

And rest ye merry!

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

God rest ye merry, gentlemen. Let nothing you dismay.

Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day;

To save us all from Satan's pow'r when we were gone astray.

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;

O tidings of comfort and joy.
(-traditional English carol)

 

 

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."  (John 1:14 ESV)