For this blog, I am pausing our story to share with you one of my favorite songs, ever – O Holy Night.
I wanted to provide these lyrics for you to perhaps meditate on.
When I listen to this song I am deeply moved. The lyrics have always spoken to my heart. I think that if someone asked me why I love Jesus, I would tell them to listen to the words of O Holy Night – that’s why I love him. Here are the most common lyrics:
-O HOLY NIGHT-
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Til 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 angels’ voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
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! Let ever, ever praise we.
Noel, noel! O night, oh night divine!
The lyrics in particular that touch me so are:
— “Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.”
If you are addicted, you identity is NOT your addiction. Jesus came that in HIm you may experience a new identity. May your soul feel it’s worth in Jesus.
If you are the spouse of one addicted, our spouses addiction may stir feelings of unworthiness in us; that we are not enough. May you also know that your identity and worth is in Jesus, NOT in your spouses addiction.
— “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”
I know it can feel like things will never get better; that you will never beat the addiction, or your spouse will never stop, or that your marriage will never heal. We become weary in the process and the struggle. However, may you feel a thrill of hope once again. Hope in the God who is capable of restoring you and your marriage.
“Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace”
God loves you, no matter what you have done or what has happened to you.
May His love change you from the inside out as you hold Him in your hearts.
Loving is difficult in a marriage tainted by sexual addiction. May the love and peace of God be with you. As you are filled with the love of God may you experience love once again in your marriage, for each other.
“Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease.”
If you are enslaved to sexual addiction, Jesus came to set you free. May you believe that in His name, your oppression shall cease.
Spouses, the one we love is a slave to the addiction and has been maybe for some time. It is so hard to live with this; you have suffered much and my heart hurts for you. May you believe that in His name, your spouse can be relieved of this oppression, that the chains can be broken.
Go back to the lyrics, maybe even listen to them in a song and just let the words sink into your heart. Read or listen to them several times and meditate on them – let God speak to you through them.
I just paused myself, to listen to this song (Josh Groban’s version, which is absolutely amazing!) and with tears falling I made this song a prayer for you, my dear brothers and sisters.
May you experience Jesus’ divine love present with you. We celebrate the One who came to Earth to show us His great love for us and to teach us to love one another. May the greatest gift you receive be His love overflowing in your hearts and may that love change you in profound ways.
Merry Christmas,
Brian and Tami