The Weary World Rejoices

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been weary and burdened with a load of care lately.

With Covid, the election, and my own personal problems and struggles it’s a lot to handle.

I have become weary.

God reminds me to not grow weary while doing good because at the right time I will reap a harvest of blessings.” Galatians 6:9

Right now the whole world is weary but it’s Christmas time so we are supposed to be joyful? How is that possible?

Christmas is known for it’s Carols, songs of joy that we sing often this time of year. Many songs are centered around the birth of Jesus and “O Holy Night” is one of those songs. A line in that song says, “the weary world rejoices.”

Why is the wearisome world rejoicing? How can it rejoice when everything around us seems to bring sorrow and pain?

Yet, on a Holy Night, the night of our dear Savior‘s birth the weary world seemed to be rejoicing. His birth is the beginning of his death. The beginning of a plan laid out before the very foundations of this world was formed. Before the world became weary there was a plan to save us all from our own sins and struggles and life’s woes.

“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” Ephesians 1:4-5

Life was supposed to be good in the garden with God. But sin entered and then the world was filled with trouble and sorrow. From then on the world long lay in sin and error pinning.

The Savior then appeared on that Holy Night and the soul felt it’s worth. The joy of this birth far outweighed the woes of the day. Today we not only have the joy of the birth but also the great significance of His death.

Now there is this thrill of hope, and now, now the weary world can rejoice.

Did that mean all sin, pain and sorrow will cease to exist? No, on the contrary. It would continue, all the more reason and need for a Savior to save us and forgive us of those sins. The weary soul burdened by sin sorrow and pain can rejoice in that confident hope. As long as the world goes on it will be burdened. The world longs for the savior.

“For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.” Romans 8:19-23

Maybe this year has been a little more wearisome with all of the turmoil going on and it is definitely more on a global scale, yet it’s still another year where sorrow and pain exists, but it’s nothing the Lord can not handle.

The last line of this famous Christmas song, before it goes into the chorus leaves us with more hope. For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Translation, tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow, next month, next year, is new and glorious. I don’t have to sit here and loathe in my weariness. I have hope for a new and glorious day each day.

“The steadfast love of the lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness“ Lamentations 3:22-24

What a great reason to fall on our knees and praise the Lord.

The end of the carol exhorts us to

“Fall on your knees”

Maybe we what we need right now is a little switch in our perspective and to focus on the very reason the weary world rejoices. For on that holy night, that night divine was the night of our dear savior’s birth.

For God so loved this world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Life, everlasting life outside of this world is something to look forward to and a reason for this weary world to rejoice!