Devotion: Music
Psalm 33:1
“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.
Praise befits the upright.”
Alongside the conversation of when to put up decorations, one of the biggest debates around Christmastime in our culture is, “When should I start listening to Christmas music?” The safe answer for both seems to be “any time after Thanksgiving.” Regardless of how one personally feels, Christmas music is pretty tough to avoid in the post-Thanksgiving season. Though hearing “Sleigh Ride” in every store and on every radio station for a month can be annoying, it’s shocking to think about how many songs celebrating the birth of our Savior are played in secular settings and performed by secular artists this time of year.
Praise and worship are an important part of Christian life, and Psalm 33 makes it clear that music is a wonderful way to express that praise. “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him” (Psalm 33:1). The Christmas music canon is so full of joyful songs that have been interpreted by so many artists, Christian or otherwise. One could make the argument that some of the artists performing these songs only do so because a Christmas album is a pretty surefire way to sell records, and there may be some truth to that. But what’s wonderful about art is that the audience brings just as much to the art as the performer. Regardless of the singer’s intentions, we as Christians can still sing along joyfully when “O Holy Night” or “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” comes on the radio. We can thank God for this season when music full of rejoicing for the birth of Jesus is so prevalent.
So the next time you’re shopping and get Nat King Cole singing “Joy to the World” stuck in your head, think of how amazing it is that so much of the world
God,
Thank you so much for this beautiful time of year when we feel so close to You and Your Son. Help us remember how blessed we are to be able to praise You through music and to have so many joyful, wonderful songs celebrating Jesus’ birth. Amen.
Written by Preston Thiemann
Preston Thiemann married his wife, Rachel, in September 2017. They live here in Lincoln. He is the Web Content Coordinator for the ASEM Marketing team at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he’s worked since April 2015. At Sheridan, he also plays guitar on the Praise Band. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching movies and spending time with friends.