Hark The Herald Angels Sing

Malachi 4: 2 (NIV)

But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.

I want to end our devotionals this week on what my kids would call ‘a banger’! I am not sure the great Charles Wesley who penned the words would condone such a phrase, but I am inclined to side with my offspring on this one. 

Today’s new song is Hark the Herald Angels Sing. It’s got a rousing tune, and we all sing with great gusto, looking forward to the Christmas treats after the service. But it’s so much more than a precursor to mince pies and warm wine. It is literally laden with Biblical truths. This tremendous hymn goes from the miracle of the virgin birth, ‘offspring of the Virgin’s womb’, through to Jesus’ death and resurrection ‘risen with healing in His wings’. It’s like a compressed Alpha course in three verses! 

It’s hardly surprising, given the life of the man behind the words. Forced to resign as a curate due to his evangelical preaching, Charles and his brother John Wesley dedicated their lives to travelling around Britain, preaching to crowds and bringing revival. He certainly knew the power of the new-born King about whom he wrote. 

The words may be old, the author long gone to Glory, but the power of the Holy Spirit through these words is not diminished. Singing this in a drafty cathedral this Christmas, I felt my anxious and weary spirit lightened by the Holy Spirit breathing fresh life into the promise of the ‘light and life to all he brings’. It reminded me to keep pressing into the new song my heavenly Father wants to give me each day; it might be in old packaging, but it will be uniquely mine to sing. 

Prayer - Lord, keep my ears open to the new songs you want to give me; I pray for a heart that hears the truths they bring and the freedom to respond to the prompting of your Holy Spirit.