Do You Hear What I Hear? The Songs of Christmas
November 27: Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus by Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Scripture References: Psalm 34:4; Galatians 5:1; Haggai 2:7
Theme: Longing for Deliverance
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus by Charles Wesley
Come, thou long expected Jesus,
Born to set thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Born thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to thy glorious throne.
Prayer:
Jesus, we long for you
Watching, waiting, expecting
Jesus, we long for you
You, the hope of all the earth
You, the desire of every nation
You, the key to every prison
You do not merely release the captives
You shatter the bonds of fear and sin
Come Mighty Savior!
We long for your deliverance
Take our strongholds and give us freedom
Take our numbers and give us names
Take our sentences and give us life
Additional Resources:
Psalm 34:4 (NKJV) I sought the Lord, and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears.
Galatians 5:1 (NKJV) Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Haggai 2:7(NKJV) “And I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,” says the Lord of hosts.
From Wikipedia
In 1744, Charles Wesley considered Haggai 2:7 and looked at the situation of orphans in the areas around him. He also looked at the class divide in Great Britain. Through this train of thought, he wrote “Come, Thou long expected Jesus” based upon Haggai 2:7 and a published prayer at the time which had the words:
“Born Your people to deliver, born a child and yet a King, born to reign in us forever, now Your gracious kingdom bring. By Your own eternal Spirit, rule in all our hearts alone; by Your all sufficient merit, raise us to Your glorious throne. Amen.”
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CLICK HERE for a pdf of the Christmas Song Devotional Readings.
The Christmas Story is full of singing. Mary sings. Zechariah sings. Simeon sings. The angels sing. Over the centuries we’ve continued to celebrate with songs of our own, songs born from the joy of Christ’s coming.
This holy season, to prepare our hearts again for the coming of Christ, we’ll reflect on the poetry of these meaningful songs. Some will be old friends. Others will be new. My prayer is that their beauty and power draw us closer to Jesus, the babe of Bethlehem, the Risen King. And that the grace of drawing near fulfills in us Christ’s power of new life.
Suggestions for Reflection on Each Song Lyric in the Christmas Devotion:
- Find a quiet place to sit. Take a couple of deep breaths.
- Read the song lyrics several times slowly, savoring the words.
- Ask yourself:
- What is the big idea?
- Why is it important?
- How does this truth connect with my life?
- Have a conversation with God about this truth.
- Invite God to use this truth to birth something new in you this holy season.
Additional Ideas:
- Journal your reflections
- Draw, paint, or create some other kind of art based on your reflections
- Find a scripture or two which inspired the song or where brought to mind by the lyrics
- Sing or listen to the song
- Share the song or just the lyrics on social media or face to face
I look forward to hearing your comments. – Lisa <><
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Come Thou Long Expect Jesus reflections © 2018 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
Leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.
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