Joy to the World!

This post is by Shaina Weisgerber.

Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous songs and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98) 

Many of us grew up singing Christmas carols every year in choir, at Christmas Eve candlelight services, or around the tree with family. We hear them in grocery stores as we get everything on our list for the big meal and we hear them overhead at the mall as we scurry around to buy last minute gifts. We can grow accustomed to the sounds of the season, including the words of these incredible songs of old. 

Have you ever stopped and allowed the words to the most familiar carols really sink in a bit? 

When we sing the words of Joy to the World, we are declaring an excitement and joy that our Saviorhas come to save us from sin and death, but if you look a bit closer at this particular carol, we are singing of the triumphant return of Christ!  We join in with all of creation to declare the wonder and joy of this incredible truth! 

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare him room,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found,

Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.

As you sing these lyrics this season, pause and contemplate the beauty and the excitement that everything we experience on this earth through pain, sadness, hardship, strife, injustice, sickness, brokenness and sin will be made right. Not only are we singing praises of his first coming, as a precious baby, we are declaring the astounding beauty and excitement that He will come again as KING! 

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Christmas is not a jolly time for everyone. This season can bring with it many sorrows, grief and painful memories. This time of the year can add more pressure, struggle and pain. Maybe singing joy to the world is the last thing your heart feels like singing. The afflictions, pain and sorrows of this season are temporary. Enduring the long seasons of hardship achieves  eternal glories. Draw near, God is Emmanuel. He is with us. He is near.  So, friend, look to Christ. Look to Him, to the hope of his return! 

Joy to the world, the Lord has come; and He WILL come again! 

Shaina lives in the Texas Panhandle and enjoys spending most of her time with her husband Nick and their girls Ava and Ana. She stays busy with both girls and their activities as well as helping Nick run WeisCoach, his financial coaching business. Encouraging and equipping women to thrive, not just survive, is the heart of her ministry at Sycamore and Sparrow. Find Shaina on Instagram and Facebook at Sycamore and Sparrow.

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash