"Joy to the World" is a favorite Christmas hymn. I think it is a hymn for all seasons. Many years ago, the song was included in our VBS music. The kids loved singing it and we continued to sing it regularly outside of the Advent season.
The message is for all seasons.
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."
Issacs Watts, an English hymn writer, wrote and published the lyrics in 1719. The poem was based on Psalm 98. More than a century later in 1839, Lowell Mason arranged an older tune as the music for the lyrics. It is the version of "Joy to the World" we sing today.
I love all four verses. It is rich with theology, wonder, and hope. One of my favorite lines is in that first verse, "Let every heart prepare him room." The message is clear. The gift has been given, but were we ready to receive it?
Hospitality is a gift. Some people are naturals. Others are intentional. Hospitality is always beautiful. To make someone feel welcome in our homes, in our neighborhoods, in our church pews, or in our communities is part of fulfilling our commission to love our neighbors as ourselves.
When we travel, we want to stay in places that make us feel welcome by preparing our room. Clean sheets, fresh towels, and a full roll of toilet paper in a clean bathroom are just a start. Recognizing our need for "creature comforts" and preparing for our stay communicates that we are wanted and welcome. Be it in a hotel, a Bed and Breakfast, or a family member's home, we see the preparations and are grateful for the prepared room.
Sweet Mary and Gentle Joseph did not have a room in the inn, but they prepared in their own way. She bundled the newborn in strips of cloth. I am sure she used the softest cloth strips she could find to bundle her baby boy with Joseph's help. There is nothing like the scent of a newborn baby and the sweet mewing sounds they make as they instinctively seek the comfort of their mother's arms. Joy had arrived.
"She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them." -Luke 2:7
They had no lodging, but God had prepared a place. The place was unexpected and not what they had hoped for upon entering Bethlehem, but it turned out to be the perfect place for shepherds to visit. It was not a room in an inn, but it was a prepared room.
As we move closer to Christmas Day this year, let us remember to prepare room in our hearts once again. Let us take in the wonder of the miracle of the Messiah... Immanuel... God with us.
Today, I am grateful for a prepared room.
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