Hail to the Lord’s Anointed 4
Kings shall bow down before Him,
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
a kingdom without end.
As we reflect on the words of this hymn on Christmas Eve, we can hear echoes of the Christmas story—the story of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. During the season of Advent, we have been preparing ourselves, our hearts and our souls to rejoice, to sing our songs of praise, to welcome the Child who is King, and that moment is almost here.
These words speak to us about Jesus, the Anointed One, to whom kings will bow down and all will worship. With them, we might think of the Magi who would bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus. This is a triumphant and glorious song of the Lord, the Savior, to whom unceasing prayers will ascend. As Paul wrote in his first letter to the Thessalonians, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) God calls us to rejoice, pray and give Him thanks in and out of season, not because of how the world around us might be, but ultimately because of who He is and what He has done. So, as we move from Advent into Christmas, let us remember to come and adore our Lord Jesus, to sing His praise and to pray without ceasing. Let us set aside our worries and woes, fears, failures, pride and exhaustion, and let us kneel down before the manger in worship of the One who is King.
Today, I hope that you will praise and worship the Lord, along with your St. Martin’s family, by joining one of our Christmas Eve services, whether that is virtually via live-stream or in-person.
A Prayer for Today
O God our Father, whose Word has come among us in the Holy Child of Bethlehem, may the light of faith illumine our hearts and shine in our words and deeds. Amen.
(Prayers New and Old, p. 120)
