"Let every heart prepare Him room!"

 We know these words, we’ve heard them before. They come from the Christmas hymn “Joy to the World.” (Isaac Watts).

Well, there is going to be a lot of ‘noise’ going on…in the stores, in the malls, EVERYWHERE! But it will only be ‘clangy noise’ to the souls of men because the intent is to remind them: “It’s ‘holiday’ time and you have to be about buying presents!’
BUT right here, and right now – Let us ‘be a light’ and  choose to remember ONE THING – the Gift is God, He has brought ‘Joy to the World’! The King of Kings has come and ‘let every heart prepare Him room!’ As the ‘tinny and clamorous music plays, may we ‘gird up the loins of our minds’ and take courage and ‘buy up every opportunity’ we can to  remind others that ‘Joy has come’ into this dark world, and it is TIME that we ‘prepare Him room!
Let us be a ‘light!’ We don’t have to cover our houses,(even though it brings great joy to do so!) but let us also ‘prepare our hearts’ and be ‘illuminated’ and ‘filled’ with all the fullness of Christ: “…the true light…the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light – that illumines every person. ” (John 1:9, Amplified).  He is ‘…a light to the nations, and His salvation will extend to the end of the earth.’ (Isaiah 49:6).
Let us ‘sing a new song’ this year! “How many ways can we say, “Amazing Grace!” “How many ways can we sing “Halleluiah!” So let us sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” Yes! “Let us sing, “Joy to the world!” (toni’s new Christmas chorus!)
Truly, we can ‘keep our heads about us’ as the world goes topsy-turvy! This is nothing new to God! “He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him – (and) did not know Him.” (John 1:10, Amplified).
This was written so long ago in the Gospel of John. We must not be discouraged: “He came to that which belonged to Him, -to His own [domain, creation, things, world] – and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him.” (John 1:11, Amplified).
But here is the good news! We must ‘prepare our hearts’ to receive this awesome news: “But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority power,privilege,right] to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in -adhere to, trust in and rely on -His name!” (John 1:12, Amplified, exclamation point, mine!)

 Let us, who have ‘received Him’ let others know: “Joy to the world! The Savior reigns!”
God is on the throne! He is in control! He knows what’s going on and He cares. He is compassionate in our suffering. He is refuge in times of trouble. He is a very present help!
“No more let sin and sorrow grow. Nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make His blessings flow. Far as the curse is found!” (Joy to the World, Isaac Watts).
“Your faithfulness is from generation to generation; You have established the earth, and it stands fast. All [the whole universe] are Your servants; therefore they continue this day according to Your ordinances. Unless Your law had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget  Your precepts; [how can I?] for it is by them You have quickened me -granted me life. ” (Psalm 119:90-93, Amplified).
“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word…” (Psalm 119:114).
“How many ways can we sing, “Amazing Grace!” How many ways can we sing, “Halleluiah!” So let us sing, “Joy to the world the Lord is come! Let us sing, Joy to the world!”
Yes, this Christmas, as ‘adopted children of the King’ we will proclaim what’s true: “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: “But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us but the fact that…
“While we were yet sinners Christ the Messiah, the Anointed One, died for us.” (Romans 5:8, Amplified).
So dark may be the seasons and times, and a clangy sound be made, let us buy up every opportunity to remind each other that the Light has come! And when that ‘Light and Love’ in the person of Jesus Christ is received then: “…If God be fore us, who can be against us – Who can be our foe, if God is on our side? “
“He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?”
“…Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution, or hunger, or destitution, or peril, or sword? Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long, we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter…
…Yet amid all these things…
we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us!” (Romans 8:31,32,35,36,37, Amplified, exclamation point mine!)
“How many ways can we say, “Amazing grace!” How many ways can we sing, “Halleluiah!”, So let us sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let us sing, Joy to the world!”
 
‘Unless Your law had been my delight, I would have perished...”For I am persuaded beyond doubt – am sure – that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, Nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38,39, Amplified! )
exclamation point…MINE! “ So let us sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come…”
Let this be the best Christmas ever: Let Jesus in to your life! Prepare Him room that you might have joy and eternal life!
“Let us sing, “Joy to the world!”

Author: Toni Rypkema

I'm a believer in Jesus. Because of this, I am married to a wonderful husband and the mom of a large family. For those who have battled cancer, or any other tragedy or disease, you might understand, I had a choice to get better or bitter. I chose to give thanks to Jesus for my every breath. For that reason alone, wanting to proclaim His goodness, do I write - Toni