PSALM 65

David praises God for answered prayer                       verse 1- 2 

Praise waits for YOU – O God – in Zion

and to YOU shall the vow be performed

O YOU that hears PRAYER

to YOU shall all flesh come 

David praises God for choosing him                             verse 3- 4 

Iniquities prevail against me – as for our transgressions

YOU shall purge them away

Blessed is the man whom YOU choose

and cause to approach unto YOU

that he may dwell in YOUR courts

we shall be satisfied

with the goodness of YOUR house

            even of YOUR holy temple 

David praises God for HIS Sovereignty over creation  verse 5- 8 

By terrible things in righteousness will YOU answer us

O God of our salvation

WHO are the confidence of all the ends of the earth

and of them that are afar off upon the sea

which by HIS strength sets fast the mountains

            being girded with power

which stills the noise of the seas

            the noise of their waves

                        and the tumult of the people

They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid

at YOUR token

YOU make the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice    

 David praises God for HIS provisions in each season   verse 9- 13 

YOU visit the earth

and water it

YOU greatly enrich it with the river of God

which is full of water

YOU prepare them corn

when YOU have so provided for it

YOU water the ridges thereof abundantly

YOU settle the furrows thereof

YOU make it soft with showers

YOU bless the springing thereof

YOU crown the year with YOUR goodness

and YOUR paths drop fatness

they drop upon the pastures of the wilderness

                  and the little hills rejoice on every side

the pastures are clothed with flocks

the valleys also are covered over with corn

      they shout for joy – they also sing                 

  

COMMENTARY:

           

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers 

: 3        Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, YOU shall purge them away. (3722 “purge” [kapher] means to cover, expiate, to cancel, appease, atonement, cleanse, forgive, be merciful, pardon, put off, or reconcile.)

DEVOTION:  There are many theologians who are writing books regarding the idea of the imputation of our sin on Jesus Christ on the cross. The Bible states that God will cancel the sins of those who are followers of the LORD. The majority of people will not choose to follow the LORD. They think that they don’t need HIM. Some think this life is it. They are wrong. There is a life after death. That life is spent in heaven or in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels.

David is praying to the LORD again. HE is praying on a regular basis. One psalm informs us that he prays three times a day. These psalms are prayers that are sung. In this song he is asking the LORD to deal with sin in his life. His sin overwhelms him. They flood over him.

The word for “transgressions” is rebellion or crime. The sin that he commits is a form of rebellion against the law of God. He asks the LORD to forgive his sin. Not only to forgive but to take it away. He is asking the LORD to atone for his son. Jesus Christ shed HIS blood on the cross for our sin. HE atoned for our sin. God is in the business of forgiving sin. HIS people know that sin will always be a part of their lives while they are here on the earth but they also know that the LORD will be merciful and forgive their sins because of the blood of Christ.

Our reaction to forgiveness of sin should be to pay our vows to the LORD. Our reaction should be to rejoice in the LORD. Our reaction should be to pray to the LORD. Our reaction should be to be satisfied with the goodness of the LORD. Our reaction should be to have confidence in the LORD. Our reaction should be to shout for joy.

What is our reaction when we ask the LORD for forgiveness for our daily sins? The Bible states that “If we confess our sins, HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (I John 1: 9). Isn’t it great to know that the LORD cleanses us from all sin!!!

CHALLENGE: Forgiveness gave David the incentive to thank the LORD for HIS forgiveness and for HIS choice of him to be HIS leader of the children of Israel. Remember HE has forgiven you. Praise HIM!!! 

 

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers 

: 4        “Blessed is the man You choose, And cause to approach You, That he may dwell in Your courts. We shall                            be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Of Your holy temple.” The New King James Version                                    (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Blessed – 835 אֶשֶׁר, אַשְׁרֵי [ʾesher /eh·sher/] n m. From 833; TWOT                                183a; GK 890 and 897; 45 occurrences; AV translates as “blessed” 27 times, and “happy” 18 times. 1                                   happiness, blessedness. 1A often used as interjection. 1B blessed are. James Strong, Enhanced                                         Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001)

DEVOTION:  Today in church we heard a young man share his testimony about how God has blessed and protected him throughout his life. He shared that with many surgeries and medical issues he has seen how the Lord has kept him and given him strength. As I listened to these words and how the young man gave God the praise I was so glad to be in the house of God.

We are blessed not just by the proclamation of God’s word but also by his servants recognizing and then proclaiming God’s goodness. The Lord is so good to us each day and keeps us in His care! Have you thanked Him for his oversight and drawing of you into his presence? God is so good! He’s so good to me!

CHALLENGE:  Take a moment to thank God for giving us a place to worship and then for drawing us to worship Him! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)

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: 5        “By terrible things in righteousness will YOU answer us, O God of our

salvation; WHO are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea.” (“Answer,” 5772 עֹנָה [ʿownah] n f. From an unused root apparently meaning to dwell together; TWOT 1650a; GK 6703; AV translates as “duty of marriage” once. 1 cohabitation, conjugal rights [Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software]).

DEVOTION:  David comments in this psalm that God will answer the prayers of all men.  The first part of this psalm is talking about the kind of man who truly seeks God and therefore has his sins forgiven.  This man is the one who loves God and wants to spend time worshipping Him in His temple.

The second part of the psalm is about how God has revealed Himself in the creation.  David points out the grandeur of the creation as evidence for how God answers His people.  So we discover from this psalm that God’s providence is one of the ways that we are to learn more about Him.

God does answer all prayers.  He does not always answer them the way we ask Him to answer them, and He does not always answer them in the timing that we ask Him.  Sometimes His answer to us is “no.”  But regardless of this fact, we can approach Him with the confidence that He will answer us and cares about us.  In fact, the unusual verb used in this psalm compares God’s answers to our prayers with the normal husband-wife relationship.  Just as the husband and the wife express their love for one another, so Christ has expressed His love for the church (Ephesians 5:31-32).

So the next time you are tempted to doubt God’s answers to your prayers, just look at nature, and ask God to show you His character through the awesomeness of what you see.

CHALLENGE:  What things are you having difficulty praying about to the Lord?  Is it because you do not like His answer to you?  Remember that He answers each and every prayer of those who are His children. (Dr. Marc Wooten – board member)

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 8        They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at YOUR tokens: YOU make the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. (4161 “outgoings” [mowta’] means place of departure, exit, way out, the act of departing, act of going forth, export, outlet, stage of a journey, or issue)

DEVOTION:  Everyone in the world sees what is going on around them from day to day. They see the good and the bad that can happen in the world. They realize that the LORD is in control of all aspects of the world and know that if they don’t worship HIM they will pay the consequences of their actions.

Each day there is something to rejoice in as we watch what God has done and will do. The children of Israel have a history with the LORD and have heard of past actions and were seeing HIM act in the present.

We need to realize that God is still at work today. HE is in control and we need to worship HIM in spirit and in truth, so that, we are blessed by HIM and not curses like the rest of creation either now or in the future.

We are supposed to be people who rejoice in what we see happening around us because it shows us that the LORD is still on the throne and those who reject HIM will meet HIM one day for the final judgement.

CHALLENGE: There is no area of the world that doesn’t see the LORD working. Everyone will be without excuse when they meet the LORD at the Great White Throne Judgment or at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

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: 11      YOU crown the year with YOUR goodness, and YOUR paths drop fatness. (2896 “goodness” [towb] means good things, kindness, happiness, welfare, benefit, bounty, satisfaction, prosperity, or agreeable to the senses)

DEVOTION: Those who are farmers see more of the LORD’S goodness more than most people. They see when the crops are good to overflowing or when there are times when nothing is growing well. There is a contrast in our world.

Here we find that David is telling the children of Israel that they have seen the LORD bless their lands. They have seen the bounty of the LORD. It is something that we can observe if we are ones who are farmers.

Most of us are not farmers but we know when we go to the grocery store when prices are good and when we pay extra when the crop is not as good. It cost us when the LORD doesn’t allow the crops to have a good season.

So we want to see a good year happen for the crops, so that, we pay less for good food to feed our families. This doesn’t happen every year but here we find David telling the children of Israel that they would thank the LORD for HIS goodness to them.

God deserves our praise for all that HE has provided for us each day. We should look at the goodness of the LORD and realize that we are blessed if we are a genuine believer that the LORD is the one who provides all the blessing that come our way.

There are people who think that blessing just happen and they believe it just happens without any genuine God of the universe. This group of people will one day face the LORD and realize that HE does exist and will face judgment for not worshiping HIM while they were alive.

We need to spread the GOOD NEWS of salvation to all those we know and show them what the LORD has done for us and what HE is doing for them through what is happening in the word.

Do we see the kindness of the LORD in our daily walk with HIM in this world? Do we see the benefits HE gives us each day? If we see HIS goodness, we need to give a testimony of this goodness to others.       

CHALLENGE: Are we giving this testimony to those we meet each day. Can we start doing it today!!!

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level) 

David knows God hears prayers                             verse 2

David knows God answers prayers                         verse 5 

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group) 

Praise                                                                         verse 1

Goodness of the house of the LORD                       verse 4

Holy temple                                                              verse 4

Shout for joy                                                             verse 13

Sing                                                                           verse 13

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead) 

God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign)                        verse 1, 5, 9

God purges away iniquities of believers                 verse 3

God chooses believers                                               verse 4

Confidence of all the ends of the earth                   verse 5

HIS strength sets fast the mountains                      verse 6

Sustainer of the earth                                               verse 6- 13

Tokens                                                                        verse 8

Makes the outgoings of morning and evening

            to rejoice                                                         verse 8

Visits the earth                                                          verse 9

Waters the earth                                                       verse 9, 10

River of God                                                              verse 9

Provides corn for HIS people                                  verse 9

Provides bumper crops                                            verse 11

Causes people to sing because of HIS provisions   verse 13 

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)    

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation) 

All flesh come                                                              verse 2

Tumult of the people                                                 verse 7

Those who dwell in the uttermost parts

            are afraid                                                       verse 8 

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels) 

Iniquities                                                                    verse 3

Transgressions                                                           verse 3 

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins) 

Praise                                                                          verse 1

Keep vows                                                                  verse 1

Prayer                                                                        verse 2, 5

Purge sin away                                                          verse 3

Blessed                                                                        verse 4

Chosen                                                                       verse 4

Approach God                                                          verse 4

Inheritance                                                                 verse 4

Dwell in God’s courts                                               verse 4

Satisfaction                                                                verse 4

Answered prayer                                                      verse 5

Salvation                                                                    verse 5

Confidence                                                                 verse 5 

Israel (Old Testament people of God) 

David – author of this Psalm                                   verse 1- 13

            Describes blessings of the LORD

Zion                                                                            verse 1

Holy Temple                                                              verse 4

 

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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QUOTES regarding passage

Psalm 65 is an extraordinary, exquisite poem about nature. But it is also predominantly about the God of nature, who is gracious to man, powerful in his acts, and the source of all nature’s bounty—which is what we would expect of a song written by David, the great poet of Israel. ….

Another way of speaking about Psalm 65 is as a harvest hymn, a song to be sung when crops were gathered in. We have our harvest hymns too, of course, such as “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” and “We Plough the Fields and Scatter.” These were more popular when people in the West lived closer to the soil. But none of our harvest hymns has the freshness and abounding delight in God’s bounty in nature that this ancient composition has. ….

There is another feature of the psalm that would also place it at this time of year. Psalm 65 is one of only three psalms in the Psalter that use the word atone or atonement (in v. 3, inexplicably rendered “you forgave our transgressions” in recent niv editions). That it does may be significant in light of the fact that the Day of Atonement occurred almost immediately before the Feast of Tabernacles in the Jewish calendar, on the tenth day of the seventh month. Therefore, the first stanza of the psalm, where the reference to atonement occurs, might be thought of as looking back to that immediately preceding day. …..

There is little question about how the psalm should be outlined, since virtually all commentators do it the same way. There are three stanzas, just as in the New International Version text: verses 1–4, verses 5–8, and verses 9–13. Derek Kidner titles these three sections: (1) God of Grace, (2) God of Might, and (3) God of Plenty. The emphasis is on the last of these three sections, which is also the longest. The first two stanzas prepare for this final stanza and build to it. ….

Perhaps the most striking thing about this psalm’s uncommon reference to atonement is that it is described as something God himself does. For it is not the people who make atonement, or even the high priest; it is God. “You forgave [actually, atoned for] our transgressions” (v. 3). This is because God is exceedingly gracious, which is what the rest of the psalm will show. Indeed, even the next verse shows it, for it speaks of the one who has been brought near to God by virtue of the atonement now being blessed with every good thing. (Boice, J. M. (2005). Psalms 42–106: An Expositional Commentary (p. 529). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.)

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9, 10. The word, thou visitest, expresses a characteristically biblical thought, that God who is always present and active has nevertheless his decisive times of drawing near to bless or judge (e.g. Gen. 50:24f.; Exod. 32:34; Luke 1:68). The word for waterest is rendered better in neb by ‘dost … give it abundance’; cf. the overflowing vats of Joel 2:24. The end of verse 9 puts great emphasis on the sureness with which he works, repeating the same verb in providest and prepared (and possibly the same root again in the word so, with in that case the meaning ‘surely’). The last word, it, refers back to the ‘it’ of the first two lines, i.e. the earth. Verse 10 shows more exactly, and almost tangibly, how he makes it ready for the crops it is to bear. (Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, pp. 250–251). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)

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65:9–13. The psalmist was convinced that Israel would have an abundantly good year when God poured out His blessings on the land. Verse 9a summarizes God’s care for the land, and verses 9b–13a develop the theme of God’s blessings on the land. God’s control of the water produces the grain (v. 9b); God’s rain showers prepare the land for produce (v. 10); God’s blessing produces an abundant harvest (v. 11); God causes uncultivated areas to be enriched with grass (v. 12). In a word, the flocks and grain flourish under His blessing (v. 13a).

The psalmist concluded that all of nature shouts for joy (v. 13b), that is, abundant fruitfulness testifies to God’s blessing. (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 842). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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The psalm opened in the tiny land of Israel (God’s grace) and moved from there to the nations of the earth (God’s government). Now the entire universe comes into the picture, for the Creator of the universe provides the sunshine and rain in their times and seasons so that people can plow the earth, plant seeds, and eventually harvest food. (See Gen. 1, 8:20–9:17.) The emphasis is on God’s goodness and generosity to His people. The rains come in abundance; the rivers and streams overflow; the harvest is plenteous; the grain wagons are full; and the grain spills into the wagon ruts. Why? Because God covenanted to care for the land of Israel and visit it with His blessing, if His people honored and obeyed Him (Deut. 11:8–15; Lev. 26:3–5).

This blessing was promised all during the year and year after year, even during the Sabbatical years when the people didn’t cultivate the land (Lev. 25:1–22). According to verses 12–13, the “pastures of the wilderness” (uncultivated land) would produce vegetation and the hills would be clothed with beauty. The meadows would feed the flocks and herds, and the valleys would produce the grain. All of them would unite as one voiceless choir shouting for joy to the God of the universe, the Creator of every good and perfect gift. We can’t read these verses without expressing appreciation and adoration to our God for His goodness and vowing not to waste food (John 6:12) or waste the precious land and resources He has given us. One day God will destroy them that destroy the earth (Rev. 11:18), who fail to see that we are stewards of His precious gifts. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be worshipful (1st ed., pp. 218–219). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)

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9. “Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it.” God’s visits leave a blessing behind; this is more than can he said of every visitor. When the Lord goes on visitations of mercy, he has abundance of necessary things for all his needy creatures. He is represented here as going round the earth, as a gardener surveys his garden, and as giving water to every plant that requires it, and that not in small quantities, but until the earth is drenched and soaked with a rich supply of refreshment. O Lord, in this manner visit thy church, and my poor, parched, and withering piety. Make thy grace to overflow towards my graces; water me, for no plant of thy garden needs it more.

“My stuck lies dead, and no increase

Doth my dull husbandry improve;

O let thy graces without cease

Drop from above.”

“Thou greatly enrichest it.” Millions of money could not so much enrich mankind as the showers do. The soil is made rich by the rain, and then yields its riches to man; but God is the first giver of all. How truly rich are those who are enriched with grace; this is great riches. “With the river of God, which is full of water.” The brooks of earth are soon dried up, and all human resources, being finite, are liable to failure; but God’s provision for the supply of rain is inexhaustible; there is no bottom or shore to his river. The deluge poured from the clouds yesterday may be succeeded by another to-morrow, and yet the waters above the firmament shall not fail. How true is this in the realm of grace; there “the river of God is full of water,” and “of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” The ancients in their fables spake of Pactolus, which flowed over sands of gold; but this river of God, which flows above and from which the rain is poured, is far more enriching; for, after all, the wealth of men lies mainly in the harvest of their fields, without which even gold would be of no value whatever. “Thou preparest them corn.” Corn is specially set apart to be the food of man. In its various species it is a divine provision for the nutriment of our race, and is truly called the staff of life. We hear in commerce of “prepared corn-flour,” but God prepared it long before man touched it. As surely as the manna was prepared of God for the tribes, so certainly is corn made and sent by God for our daily use. What is the difference whether we gather wheat-ears or manna, and what matters it if the first comes upward to us, and the second downward? God is as much present beneath as above; it is as great a marvel that food should rise out of the dust, as that it should fall from the skies. “When thou hast so provided for it.” When all is prepared to produce corn, the Lord puts the finishing stroke, and the grain is forthcoming; not even, when all the material is prepared, will the wheat be perfected without the continuous and perfecting operation of the Most High. Blessed be the Great Householder; he does not suffer the harvest to fail, he supplies the teeming myriads of earth with bread enough from year to year. Even thus does he vouchsafe heavenly food to his redeemed ones: “He hath given meat unto them that fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant.” (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 56-87 (Vol. 3, pp. 93–94). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)

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FROM MY READING: 

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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1 John 2

If we keep His commandments and love our brothers, we walk in fellowship.

INSIGHT

It is sometimes difficult to know if we are in fellowship with the Lord. We erroneously tend to rely on our feelings to gauge our relationship with Him. If we “feel” spiritual one day, we think we are in fellowship with Him. If on another day we do not “feel” spiritual, we assume we are not in fellowship. John helps us with this dilemma; he describes fellowship for us. If we are keeping the Lord’s commandments and loving others, we are in fellowship whether we “feel” in fellowship or not. Do not let your feelings deceive you and encourage you to sin.

When we go to Him in prayer and ask Him to give what is on our hearts – of which other know nothing – and then He opens His hand and gives so freely and so generously, we have a positive demonstration that prayer is more than a formal religious exercise. (H.A. Ironside, The Continual Burnt Offering)           (Quiet Walk)

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The occasion of it has been variously identified: e.g. an autumn festival which looks ahead to a coming year of plenty, and perhaps includes rituals that call down the expected blessing; or, in view of the lush pastures it describes, it could be a spring celebration such as the offering of first fruits at Passover; or again, a national deliverance after famine (note the opening allusions to prayers heard and sins forgiven). Whatever event or season it first celebrated, its grateful delight in God as Redeemer, Creator and Provider makes it a rich and many-sided act of praise, not merely a psalm for a harvest festival. (Kidner, D. (1973). Psalms 1–72: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 15, p. 248). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)

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You must have often found yourself facing a particular difficulty or situation. You feel that because God knows everything, there is no point in telling Him anything about it. God knows our needs, He knows all about us before we get on our knees to pray; so why then do we need to tell Him anything? What seems to be the obvious conclusion to that thought is that there is no need to pray at all: If God knows all about us, why not let things take their course and all will be well.
Now the answer to that is what we find in John 17. Our Lord knew, in a way we can never know, about God’s omniscience, His perfect and complete knowledge, and yet He told His Father certain things about those disciples, things that God knew already. He prayed about them and repeated them, and, of course, that is characteristic of Bible prayers everywhere not only the prayers of our Lord but also those of the apostles and of the saints of the Old Testament. This is something that is wonderful the moment you begin to contemplate it. God after all desires us to think of Him as our Father. It is a kind of anthropomorphism; God is stooping to our weakness.
So when we come into the presence of God with our requests and our petitions, let us never fear to bring the details, for nothing is too small for God’s loving care and attention.  A Thought to Ponder – God’s omniscience is no reason for our not telling Him things that He already knows. (p. 9-10, Safe in the World by Dr. Martyn Lloyd- Jones)

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The outer man must be broken before the inner man can find freedom. This is the fundamental path that a servant of the LORD must learn to take. (p. 116, The Breaking of the outer man and the release of the Spirit by Watchman Nee)

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Daily Hope

                                       Today’s Scripture
                                         Luke 2:15, 20

   When I was growing up Christmas was a very special day. After the presents were opened at our home, we would meet at our Grandpa Miller’s place. All the aunts and uncles, cousins and others would come to Grandpa and Grandma’s place for an afternoon of family fun and activities. The counters, tables and about any space that could hold a bowl or plate was filled with the food and desserts that would come in that day. Everyone was expected and everyone was faithful to come. 

The hymn “O Come, All Ye Faithful” is a song that extols the faithfulness of individuals as they were called to come to Bethlehem to see the newborn baby in the manger. While the exact origins of the original song are not known, it is a favorite Christmas song having been translated into more than 100 different languages through the years.

The original Latin text consisted of four stanzas and the title is stated in the first two words, “Adeste Fidelis”, translated “come ye faithful ones or be present or near, ye faithful”. The first stanza calls us to envision again the baby Jesus in Bethlehem’s manger. The second verse is often excluded in many hymnals but reminds the singer of the Christ-child being fully God Himself. “God of God and Light of Light begotten, Lo, He abhors not the Virgin’s womb; Very God, begotten, not created – O come, let us adore Him.” The third stanza portrays for the worshipper the angelic choir’s revered song to the terrified shepherds. Finally, the last verse presents praise and adoration to the Word, Jesus, who was with the Father from the beginning of eternity (John 1:1).

For many years this song had an anonymous author but more recent research indicates the song was written and set to music in 1744 by an English layman named John Francis Wade. One hundred years later the song was translated into English by Frederick Oakeley, an Anglican minister who desired to use it for his congregation. 

As the song summons the faithful to come to Bethlehem to behold and worship the newborn king, may we too give adoration to Christ. Perhaps we, like the shepherds, can proclaim and glorify God to those we meet during this season of the year.   Saying, “Merry Christmas” or leaving a Christmas tract at the restaurant or other places we frequent can cause others to be mindful of the reason for the season we are celebrating. God has given us Good News so let us be faithful in sharing the special event! 

With an Expectant Hope,                        Pastor Miller 

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