The Songs Tell the Story: A Family Advent DevotionalSample

The Song Made Famous by a Famous Singing Family

Have you ever seen the movie The Sound of Music?

It is the story of the Von Trapp family and their escape from Austria during World War II. The movie was filmed as a musical because the family had become famous as a singing group. The Trapp Family Singers recorded the carol “The Little Drummer Boy,” and that is why the Christmas carol gained popularity in 1955.

“The Little Drummer Boy” was originally written in the Czech-Slavic language as a lullaby. Later, in 1928, it was translated to English in the Oxford Book of Carols. But it was a woman from Missouri named Katherine Davis who composed the version we are familiar with today. She called it “The Carol of the Drum.” Now, her version of the song has been included as a favorite on more than one hundred popular Christmas albums.

The song tells the story of a young boy who wants to honor Jesus for his birthday, but the boy doesn’t have a present for him. So, he decides to give him the best gift he does have. He plays a song for him on his drum. One of the stanzas talks about the little boy approaching the manger and saying that he played his best for Jesus. For that performance, the little boy gets Mary’s appreciation and gratitude.

“The Little Drummer Boy” offers a great Christmas message. We can often think a gift is more valuable simply because it costs a lot of money. This song has a different message. The little boy didn’t have money to offer Jesus, but he gave him something even better. The little drummer boy gave his best and honored Jesus with his song.

All of us can honor the Lord by giving our money to help people, churches, and ministries. But all of us have more to give than money. The Bible says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

All of us can honor the Lord with the example of “The Little Drummer Boy.” We can give him our best by using our gifts and talents for God’s good purposes.

What is the finest gift you can bring to Jesus today?