Blog

The Most Wonderful Time

By: Steve Negley

Posted: January 5, 2015

Category: Daily Devotional

The Twelve Days of Christmas are nearly done, and sadly, that means that the Christmas season is almost over. I hate to see it end, as it truly is “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” I am reminded of that each year as I pop in “The Andy Williams Christmas Album.” His voice, and this song, take me quickly back to many Christmas seasons during my childhood, as my family would watch the Andy Williams Christmas special on TV. (That’s one of the ways we also kept up with the Osmonds, as they joined Andy each year in treating us to the sounds of the season.)

Not just in religious circles, there seems to be something special about Christmas.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year,
With the kids jingle belling,  And everyone telling you “Be of good cheer”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
It’s the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings, When friends come to call
It’s the hap- happiest season of all
There’ll be much mistltoeing, And hearts will be glowing, When loved ones are near
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

I love the Christmas season, because we seem to be on our best behavior with family members and strangers alike. During this time of the year, hearts seem to glow, and we are willing to hope that others will join us in good cheer.

I love the Christmas season, because it seems to give us a taste, ever so briefly, of what the kingdom of God in its fullness will be like. The prophet Isaiah told us that when God’s kingdom breaks forth,

The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Prayer

God of the past, present, and future, once again we have sensed your peaceful kingdom somewhere in the soft glow of Christmas lights. Help us to keep the joy and peace of this wonderful time of the year alive in our hearts each and every day. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen