Daily Devotion: What Child Is This?

Bible Reading:  Psalm 40 

Key Verse: Verse 3 – “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.”

Key Words: And he hath put a new song in my mouth

“What Child Is This” first appeared in Christmas Carols New and Old in 1867.  It was written by William Chatterton Dix (1837-1898), who was educated in the Grammar School of Bristol in preparation for a commercial career.  After school, he became the manager of a marine insurance company in Glasgow, a vocation which he followed to the end of his life.

His father, a surgeon, had a gift of poetry and wrote “The Life of Thomas Chatterton,” about a minor English poet.  So William Chatterton Dix inherited a true gift for writing verse, especially hymns.  Dix wrote many Christmas and Easter cards, but the most widely known is “What Child Is This?” written in about 1865 and set to the traditional folk melody “Greensleeves.”

William Dix published more than forty hymns, including “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!” “As with Gladness, Men of Old,” “Come Unto Me, Ye Weary,” “Joy Fills Our Inmost Hearts Today!”  “O Thou, the Eternal Son of God,” and “To Thee, O Lord, Our Hearts We Raise.”  But he is probably best remembered for his contribution to our carols of Christmas.

 

What Child is this, who, laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

                                   

~ Taken from The Story Behind

the Story By Daniel Partner

What to do:
✞ Make sure you know “this” Christ as your Savior.

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