Let’s Get With It!

When we hear the name, “Isaac Watts” we think of some of the most biblically based, if slightly stodgy hymns. But I laughed when I read the background of how Isaac got started. It all began one day when as a teenager he complained to his father about the terribly boring music at church. His father wanting to challenge rather than correct Isaac, replied, “Give us something better young man!” Isaac’s attitude reminds me of some of the worship leaders we had in churches we attended early in our faith journey. On Sundays when our singing bordered on being lackadaisical, they would stop us mid-song and say something along the lines of, “God deserves better! Let’s get with it and really start praising Him!”

We sang this song in our Sunday afternoon meeting at Discovery Villages and though few of the folks were familiar with the hymn, they really enjoyed singing it. Maybe from where they sit, they have a clearer vision of the Zion which we are marching towards and sense the joy of the worship there as something far more real than anything here on earth. So, however you praise God, whether with contemporary worship or with the hymns, let’s get with it! Give Him your best and praise Him with a joyful heart, because after all, “We’re marching upward to Zion, the beautiful City of God!”

A Message of Joy

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:10 KJV

Have you ever gotten into such an argument with someone you loved that they gave you the silent treatment? (You don’t have to answer!) The worst thing for most of us is not punishment, rudeness or anger, it is the complete cutting off of communication. That is how the people of Israel felt, because, although they were God’s chosen people, they had not heard from God for generations. Try to imagine for a moment the feeling of those shepherds, when angels appeared to them bringing God’s first message in four hundred years. “Joy to the World” is one of the happiest of the Christmas carols, because it tells us both by its words and upbeat melody, that Christmas is a time to celebrate.

With the craziness of the events happening around the world it is easy to focus more on things that we are afraid of, than the hope we have in Christ. That is why God wants to speak to our hearts, the same message He sent for the shepherds. “Don’t be afraid!” Though it often feels as if Jesus is a million miles away from our situation, the truth is that He is close by and that He has come for you. Don’t be afraid because the message of the coming of Jesus is “Good tiding of great joy!” What we need to do as the carol tells us is to “Receive our king!” He has come, and our job is to follow the shepherds who ran to see Him. He has come with a message of joy, not just for Israel, but for all people everywhere. “Let Heaven and nature sing!” Joy to the World by Isaac Watts 1719

Caligiuri, Peter. A Christmas Treasury: Large Print Edition (pp. 3-4). Kindle Edition.