The Little Drummer Boy

When I played piano as a youth, one of my favorite Christmas songs to play was "The Little Drummer Boy."  The last time I sang this song, my emotions were profoundly moved to a point I could hardly sing.  Perhaps for all those years the truth of the message was hidden among the multitude of "pa rum pum pum pums!"  It is a classic carol but also a timeless truth.  As ridiculous as it seems that a boy would be encouraged to play on his drum as a gift for baby Jesus, how much more ridiculous is it that the praises of our lips would be received by Him!  Are the words of my lips as pure as the love of the Little Drummer Boy, who gave all he had to give?  Here is the message of the carol written by Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, and Harry Simeone  below:

Come they told me
A new born King to see,
Our finest gifts we bring
To lay before the King 
So to honor Him
When we come.

Little Baby
I am a poor boy too

I have no gift to bring
That's fit to give our King
Shall I play for you!
On my drum.

Mary nodded
The ox and lamb kept time
I played my drum for Him
I played my best for Him
Then He smiled at me
Me and my drum.

We are all like the Little Drummer Boy, without a gift fit to give a king, much less the King of Kings!  What a message of merciful, gracious acceptance!  What gift is greater than to be accepted by God in our poor state, that He would smile upon our pathetic gestures!  May our gifts be without pride as we offer ourselves freely to Jesus Christ.  If by God's grace you have a drum or have a voice to sing, won't you use it to praise and thank Him today and always?