All You Want for ChristmasSample

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” - Romans 15:13

Think

My first memories of the song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” which has been called the “musical equivalent of a warm hug,” were around the Christmas Edition of the Reader’s Digest songbook, as one of my music teacher sisters played on the old upright piano with imperfect ivory keys. As a young boy, I had no idea of the song’s origin. If you are a vintage pop culture fan, you already know that Judy Garland was the first to share the lyrics with the world in the 1944 movie Meet Me in St. Louis.

The original lyrics were too “depressing” for Judy, so the authors struck a compromise with some uplifting changes. Over the years, be it Sinatra or Sam Smith, the lyrics continue to be modified. The first change I remember was actually a return to the original lyrics! One of my first “Christmas Album” purchases was “An Evening In December” from First Call. “As the fates allow” was replaced by the original “if the Lord allows,” sung by Garland.

The storyline in the movie reminds me of Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” The family in St. Louis was discouraged with news of a pending move across the country from the home and community they loved. If Christmas reminds us of anything, it’s that true hope, a confident hope that will last, must be linked to our Maker.

Apply

In Paul’s prayer in Romans 15:13, he says God is the source and the object of our hope. Without the incarnation of God, through the birth of Jesus, we are without hope. The best news of all from Paul’s prayer is that finding hope, joy, and peace in your life doesn’t depend on you! It’s the Holy Spirit who provides all that is needed to celebrate Christmas and every other day of the year, too.

Pray

Almighty Father, thank you for the perfect gift of Jesus. We are undeserving, yet the gift that keeps on giving through the power of Your Holy Spirit is exactly what I need to make every day a peaceful and joyful experience. I know that seasons of “trouble” still exist. Jesus told me they would. But He also said that nothing and no one can take away my joy in Him. Help me to find my “merry” this Christmas season through an overflow of confident hope in You.

Author - Jonathan Damon serves as the Pastor of Care & Engagement with the Gateway Church family in Parkesburg, PA. Jon and his wife, Kelly, enjoy watching their nine grandchildren grow up.