Nobody loves music more than my wife, Lisa. Within five minutes of waking up in the morning, she’ll have a song playing in the background.
 
Whether it’s Christmas hymns or 1970s-era trumpet solos, I’m convinced that music is one of the greatest gifts God has given to us. It has the power to lift, inspire, encourage, and teach.
 
Martin Luther thought so, too. Often, he would say, next to Scripture itself, the best weapon against the devil is good music… the enemy hates music because he despises our joy.
 
Luther wrote,

“Music is a beautiful and lovely gift of God which has often awakened and moved me to the joy of preaching . . . Music drives away the Devil and makes people joyful . . . Next after theology I give to music the highest place and the greatest honor. I would not change what little I know of music for something great. Experience proves that next to the Word of God only music deserves to be esteemed as the mistress and governess of the feelings of the human heart. We know that to the devils, music is distasteful and insufferable. My heart bubbles up and overflows in response to music, which has so often refreshed me and delivered me from dire plagues.”

(Here I Stand, 266)

In a similar vein, Mary Slessor (missionary to China) used to say, “I sing the Doxology and dismiss the devil.”
 
Amy Carmichael, missionary to India, agreed when she said, “I believe truly that Satan cannot endure it and so slips out of the room — more or less — when there is a true song.”
 
Again, Luther comments:

“When sadness comes to you and threatens to gain the upper hand, then say, ‘Come, I must play our Lord Jesus a song. For Scripture teaches me that he loves to hear joyful song and stringed instruments.’ Strike the keys with a will, and sing out until those thoughts disappear, as David and Elisha did. If the devil returns defend yourself and say, ‘Get out devil, I must now sing and play unto my Lord Jesus!”

Recently, I’ve been reading through the book of Acts and noticed distinctly what Paul and Silas were doing while in prison for their faith:
 
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them…”(Acts 16:25 ESV)
 
Interestingly, when we come to the last book of the Bible it reads, “And they sang a new song…” (Revelation 5:9).
 
The Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians,
 
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16 ESV).
 
By way of reminder, the Psalms were Israel’s songbook. This prompts us to realize that worship is theology sung. It’s proclaiming truth through music.

All this brings me to the title of my article, A Thrill of Hope, the Weary World Rejoices.
 
This line comes from the first stanza of the well-known Christmas hymn, O Holy Night.
 
I can’t help but get choked up, as joy fills my heart, when I come to this line. It’s pregnant with meaning.
 
Because Christ has come, there is hope!
 
Because Christ has come, a weary world can rejoice!
 
The sting of death has been defeated because of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:50-58).
 
In the midst of our broken and sinful world, we can rejoice. Why? Because we have Hope. Not the “I hope so” kind that comes to mind in our culture today. But rather, the Scriptural concept of hope, which is a confident assurance of what God has promised in the future.
 
Do you ever read the news and feel weary?
 
Do you feel hope slowly leaking out of your emotional tank?
 
Scripture reminds us there is always reason to have hope (confident assurance in God’s promises for the future).

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23 ESV)
 
“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope…” (Hebrews 6:19a ESV)
 
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:11-13 ESV)
 
“For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God…” (1 Timothy 4:10 NASB)
 
“Since we have such a hope, we are very bold…” (2 Corinthians 3:12 ESV)
 
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13 ESV)

During this Advent season, it would be a wise practice to stop and think about the lyrics to many of these thoughtfully-written Christmas songs and hymns as we celebrate the birth of Christ.
 
All too often, we sing Christmas songs mindlessly, but my challenge for you is to ponder the words and take time to engage your mind.
 
Let God use the music of this season to bring refreshment to your weary soul.

O holy night! the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope – the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
 
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the Wise Men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend.
He knows our need— to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King, before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, before Him lowly bend!
 
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we;
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
 
(O Holy Night – 1843)