Hearing Joy
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
If joy can be heard, I think it’s conduit would be music (or the laughter of children). When you hear a song, does if physically have an effect on your senses? Does your heart rate increase? Can you easily recall the words? When it ends, do you want more? To me, this is one definition of joy. Barbranda Lumpkin Walls (Mornings with Jesus) shares her obsession.
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I have a long-running obsession with Handel’s Messiah. Each year after Thanksgiving, I find out where I can catch a performance of the Christmas classic. I usually gather some friends for a free Messiah sing-along at a local church. Sometimes, we get tickets for a presentation of the work in the grandeur of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
When I first started going to hear Messiah many years ago, the moving music captured my attention more than the lyrics that come from the Bible. But now I pay close attention to the words and how they tell the amazing story of Jesus’s coming and what it means to humankind.
One of my favorite parts of the sacred oratorio is from Isaiah 9:6. There is so much joy in the musical prophecy of Jesus’s birth and the names by which He will be known. Wonderful. Counselor. The mighty God. The everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace. Hearing those attributes of Jesus floods my soul with joy. Knowing Jesus was born for me, lived for me, crucified for me, and rose for me so I could be with Him in eternity is overwhelming—not just at Christmas but year around.
I am obsessed with Handel’s Messiah, but I thank God that THE Messiah, my Jesus, is obsessed with me.
FAITH STEP: Think about the holiday music you’re listening to. What names are mentioned for Jesus and how do they reflect His glory?
Everlasting Father, we thank You for the prophecy of Isaiah. Teach us to be faithful and help us to experience pure joy as we sing Your praises this season and forever more. AMEN.