Carols: Advent Devotional -Ding Dong! Merrily On High

1 Kings 19:11-12

11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 

Ding Dong! Merrily On High

Ding dong! Merrily on high

In heav’n the bells are ringing:

Ding dong! Verily the sky

Is riv’n with Angel singing.

We seem to have so many bells and chimes and rings in our lives. Whether the microwave is letting us know that the “homemade” chicken nuggets are ready, or our car is beeping to tell us that our seatbelt is unbuckled, or that super annoying “Aaaeee! Aaaeee! Aaaeee!” coming from our alarm clock is piercing through the dark bedroom to jolt us from our slumber; our lives are surrounded by noises and alarms. These alarms can mean so many different things.

From this classic, beautiful Christmas carol we are drawn a picture of the celebrating chimes from heaven. It’s almost as if the author of this song is describing the way we might hear a call from heaven. In several different passages, scripture describes how someone heard from God. In some instances it was a booming sound like thunder and in others a still, small voice.

Have you ever heard that gentle whisper calling you like Elijah heard in 1 Kings 19:12? God can call us in many different ways. But what he calls each of us to is unique. He may be calling you to minister to a friend going through a tough holiday season. He may be calling you to a new profession. God can use medical doctors to serve those who cannot afford treatment, contractors to build a school in a poverty stricken country, or a lawn care worker to cut the grass of an elderly widow in the neighborhood. Whatever your talent might be, God can use it to bless others. The important thing is for you to listen to His voice, just like the beautiful chimes from heaven. He is calling you to be a light in someone’s life this Christmas.

So, go ahead and hit that snooze on your alarm clock, but answer the call of the Father on your life.

Questions:
How have you heard from God in the past?
What is God calling you to do for someone else this Christmas season?