December 22, 2018

Do you ever have words roll around in your head? Words you’ve always known, but now they whisper for further attention?

There has been a word rolling around in my head for the past week. A word that I’ve heard in song, in sermon, in books.

This Christmas word has been so familiar to me and yet I really never gave any thought to its meaning.

Noel.

Noel, noel, noel, noel. Born is the King of Israel.

I hunkered down with my blanket and my computer. After some research I discovered that it is a French word that means “birth” or “born”. A seemingly simple word with a simple meaning.

But put such a simple word with such a simple meaning on a scale and it is surprisingly heavy for its small size.

For without this noel – this birth, our lives would be forever doomed. God’s own son, coming down to earth in human form to change the world.

God’s plan for us started with His own son becoming a baby and being born. God’s plan continued with the death of His son to pay for our sins. It didn’t end there though. His son defeated death and sin and rose to life, finally ascending back to heaven to be with His father.

Noel. I’ll never look at that word again with carelessness for there is so much meaning to me personally within its four letters.

Thank you, Lord, for noel. For humbling yourself by being born as a baby, knowing that you would pay the ultimate price so I could have my own noel – my new birth – when I chose to follow you. Thank you for reminding me of noel’s meaning. Help me to keep it close to my heart, not only during the Christmas season but all year long. Noel, noel. Look what God has done.