A Christmas Devotional By Darlene ZschechНамуна

Joy to the World

It was the year 1719, and it was a strongly held belief that only the biblical Psalms should be sung in worship - that human compositions were not worthy to be sung as part of our sacred prayers. So, when Isaac Watts, one of the most prolific of all English composers, published the words of “Joy to the World,” he never imagined it would become such a wonderful Christmas carol that would be used in worship services across the ages. Watts just kept writing in spite of the pressure to conform. And “Joy to the World,” his personal adaptation of Psalm 98, was the result of his beautiful and passionate dedication.

Worship is and will always be our response to His majesty. The created responding to the Creator. Our spirit being fueled in His presence as we invite the author of life to do in us what only He can do. Humanity has always created and composed. As being made in the image of God, we are designed to create, and here we find the eternal ache met in the need of Watts to write a hymn that would give us yet another melody and more lyric to unpack this eternal song of glory.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come.