Joy to the World

Psalm 98:4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.

David repeatedly called on us to sing praises to God out of joy for what He has done and who He is. This full psalm repeats the idea throughout. Isaac Watts wrote the hymn “Joy to the World” as a retelling of Psalm 98, and this theme is most often called to mind at Christmas when we think of the angels declaring the “good news of great joy” to the shepherds, yet it is something on which we should meditate daily.

Joy to the world! The Lord is come:
let earth receive her King;
let ev'ry 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.

At Jesus’ first coming, celebrated by Christmas, the angels declared joy to all. The Bible doesn’t actually say it, but I believe that all of creation joined in praising God at this declaration. God with us is something which all creation longs for. The angels rejoiced to see it happen, humanity rejoiced to experience it, and nature rejoiced at the advent of the coming restoration which would happen at Christ’s second coming. With Jesus’ coming, we need to take thought as to why He came. He is rightful King of all, but is He King of our hearts individually? We need to make room for Him in our hearts, give Him the throne of our lives. We need to receive our King, not crucify Him for the sake of ruling our own lives and living as we please.

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.

The Good News of Jesus’ coming is that He is our Savior! He came to redeem this sin-filled world. It starts with us, as we give our lives to Christ, we receive His redemption. At the last day, His redemption will be completed in restoring heaven and earth to its original state of perfection. Creation longs for that day, when it will no longer groan under the curse of sin. In that day also, we will be permanently freed from the grip of sin, free to live for God without the pull of temptation. That is a sounding joy worth repeating!

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.

This both looks at the spiritual freedom we have now, and the future, complete freedom all of creation will experience when Jesus makes everything new. In that day, sin will be gone forever and all with be perfect. There will no longer be a curse, and so there will no longer be thorns, sorrows, death or pain. Until that time, we need to take heed to our own hearts, to weed out the sin that remains so that it will no longer grow in our hearts. Through Christ we have freedom from sin, we have the ability to reject temptation. He came to bless us with His salvation and freedom. And it is not exclusive, but is available to all who will receive it.

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.

This is true for all of time. He always has and always will rule with truth and grace. That is part of His nature. The glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love can be seen everywhere. Whether they want to or not, the nations prove this about God in some way. In the acceptance we receive, we prove His love and grace, His mercy to us who could in no way deserve what He gives. In rejecting and even persecuting evidence of Him, the world proves His righteousness, that He is just to judge sin, but it also proves His love to those who are being persecuted. His love and message cannot be stopped by an evil world. God makes everything work out for the good of those who love Him. That is amplified in suffering and persecution, so by trying to stamp out the Gospel, the unbelieving world is only working to make His goodness and love more known.

God cannot be stopped. His love cannot be quenched. His redemption is available to all who will believe. Shout joyfully all the earth!