Issac Watts was a British minister and sometime hymn writer. He served in the early 1700s and dealt with the majestic yet dull music of the day. He wanted to make music more vibrant and soul stirring, but the powers that be within his belief system were pretty well locked into the old, clunky music. So, he toiled away at his calling and jotted down poems and songs.

        One day when he was deep in the Word, he read Psalm 98 and he was inspired. It was as though the Holy Spirit took control of his mind and crafted a poem that did justice to the Psalm. When you read the Psalm next to the poem, you can see some similarities, but the poem is different in that it incorporates elements from the New Testament. When had finished the poem, Issac was very pleased, but when he began to add the music, he was hinderd by the norms of the day. The great poem/song was stalled and would languish for over a century. 

        In 1848, an American composer by the name of Lowell Mason was going through old poems and songs, looking for inspiration. He came across Issac's old song and was immediately taken in by it. The whole of the Gospel was there, and Mason determined to write music that was suitable to such moving words. And this he did.

        When I asked for favorite hymns, this was the hands down winner, which surprised me. This song is more than a Christmas song. This is the story of Jesus and the Gospel. I would start every Advent with this song and end each Advent season with this song. The message pulls at the heart of the Christian. The first verse is, indeed, about the birth, but then the rest of the song speaks more about who He is, rather than Bethlehem and Mary and all of it. 

        It may not be the most beautiful hymn, nor the most majestic. But it never, ever fails to excite me. From a frustrated minister to an inspired composer 129 years later to our Christmas celebrations now, the words and music lift our spirits!

1.   Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n, and heav’n, and nature sing.

2.   Joy to the earth, the Savior 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.

3.   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.

4. 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.

         Thank you for making this trip with me. May you all have a very merry Christmas and an awesome 2024!