By: Pastor CJ Phillips

Each year, as the Christmas season draws near, the familiar sounds of festive Christmas music and carols begin to fill the airwaves. If you are anything like me, you often find yourself singing along at the top-of-your lungs, much to the dismay of your family. However, there is one song that I often enjoy singing more than the rest and has begun to take on a new meaning for me during this Christmas season: “Do You Hear What I Hear?” 

In October of 1962, Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne released this now well-known song in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis during the Cold War. It seems fitting to me that a song written during a time of tension and distress within the world, can once again take on new meaning during this time in which we are now living.

As a follower of Christ, we are called to follow Christ. As we live out our daily lives, we are often faced with decisions and choices we must make that can have an impact on our lives. These decisions are often challenging and may make you feel that choosing the wrong decision will lead to a severe “uppercut” to your soul. 

Recently, as I have had to face these decisions in my life, I have tried to ensure that my first step is to pray and ask God for His guidance. However, I often feared that I would miss God’s voice and would miss what He is trying to say to me. I often questioned if the voice I was hearing was the voice of God or the voice of distraction? How can I be sure that the voice that I am hearing is truly the Lord? As I pondered these questions, I was reminded of the lyrics to this famous song:

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy.

Do you hear what I hear?

Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy.

Do you hear what I hear?

Did anyone else hear the voice I was hearing? Was I actually hearing it? 

These questions played repeatedly in my head. And as I made my decision, I was reminded of God’s words to His people:

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

After being reminded of this, my questions soon shifted from “Am I hearing this?” to “Am I seeking God with my whole heart?” 

When we choose to seek God with our whole heart and eliminate the distractions, then we are allowing ourselves to be opened to hear His voice. 

Isn’t it good to know that God promises to reveal himself to us, that we do not have to go through life without His presence and His voice?

By realizing this, I was able to not wallow in the questions but rather prepare myself to be open to His voice. 

This Christmas season, I challenge you to prepare your heart to receive Christ and to hear His voice, for:

The child, the child.

Sleeping in the night

HE will bring us goodness and light!

Read more of this Advent Devotional and other Daily Pursuits at www.dailypursuits.blog