PREPARE HIM ROOM

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come
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”
(from Joy to the Word—Isaac Watts) 1
 
It was in 1719 when the English Christian minister, Isaac Watts, published The Psalms of David, which included one of our favorite songs, “Joy to the World.” 2   Though we merrily sing this every Christmas, the song was originally written to celebrate the joy that will occur with the second coming of Christ with the wise advice that every heart should be made ready for that wondrous event. 

How true it is that our hearts always need to be prepared for Jesus’ coming—the celebration of His first, and the expectation of His second.   As this year’s Christmas season is in full sway, with decorating, cookie baking, and the delight of presents being purchased, let us take at least some time each day to focus on truly preparing our hearts for God’s greatest gift, freely offered and freely given—His Son.  Let us also focus on how we can do this with a joy greater than any other this season.  Some thoughts:

GIVE GOD OUR GRATITUDE:  Upon waking each morning, let us thank our Father for giving us a new day of life.  With thankfulness, let us remember that God gave us life for a reason—to glorify Him through our daily speech and activities.  With joy, let us honor others as He would have us do.  We can remind ourselves that this is a personal and sometimes sacrificial gift of ourselves to our Father that we especially want to remember and practice this Christmas season.

HONOR GOD THROUGH PRAYER:  God gave us life because He wants us to spend eternity with Him!  Let us then joyfully prepare for Jesus’ coming by praying to Him in the mornings as we awaken.  Perhaps a prayer could be, “Bless You, Father, for a giving me this new day in which to praise You for Your plan of salvation.  Thank You for Christmas and the joy of remembering  the beginning of the fulfillment of Your prophecy to Eve:  (God to Satan)  “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild.  You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live.  And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.  He will strike your head, and you will strike His heel.” Genesis 3:12-16  Thus we have the incarnation—Jesus, the second person of the trinity, who became human in His birth as a human baby in Bethlehem, again as prophesized:   “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.”  Micah 5:2 

REMEMBER THE IMPORTANCE OF A REPENTANT HEART:  Let us honor God above all things, knowing that when we are His, when we repent of our sins, He promises…“I will give them hearts that recognize Me as the Lord. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me wholeheartedly.”  Jeremiah 24:7  What a joy--to know we belong to God!

PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME:  To me, there’s nothing like beautiful Christmas hymns to elevate my heart in praising God for His Son, Jesus.  As you listen to Christmas music this year, may your heart be once more focused on upon our Savior Jesus, God, born in a manger to teach mankind the true meaning of humility and self-sacrifice because of His overwhelming love for others.  Let us never forget all Jesus went through in giving His life for us; let us forever thank Him with heartfelt sincerity.

SONGS to Lift Your Hearts: 

“Come Thou Long Expected Jesus”
Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne
 
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Charles Wesley / R. H. Pritchard / Tom Howard
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, DistroKid, Integrity Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc
 
 “Angels We have Heard on High”
 
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly, sweetly through the night
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their brief delight
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing,
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Yeah
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Angels we have heard
Angels we have heard on high
Angels we have heard, oh
Angels we have heard on high
Angels we have heard on high
Angels we have heard on high
In excelsis Deo
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Benjamin Allan Bram / Kevin Olusola / Scott Hoying / Traditional
Angels We Have Heard on High lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
 
 
“Breath of Heaven”
 
I have traveled many moonless nights
Cold and weary with a babe inside
And I wonder what I've done
Holy father you have come
And chosen me now to carry your son
I am waiting in a silent prayer
I am frightened by the load I bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone?
Be with me now
Be with me now
Breath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heaven
Do you wonder as you watch my face
If a wiser one should have had my place
But I offer all I am
For the mercy of your plan
Help me be strong
Help me be
Help me
Breath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Amy Lee Grant / Chris Eaton
Breath of Heaven (Mary’s Song) lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Music Services, Inc

“Mary, Did You Know?”
Mary did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you

Mary did you know
That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know
That your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby
You've kissed the face of God

Mary, did you know?
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
And the dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb

Mary did you know
That your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know
That your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding
Is the Great I Am
Oh, Mary, did you know?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc., CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP
Songwriters Mark Lowry, Music by Buddy Greene Published by © Warner Chappell Music, Inc., CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP

VERSES: 

Luke 2:8-12   “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.   But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:20  “The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.”

Colossians 3:16  “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.”

PRAYER:  Dear Father, in the midst of my preparing for Christmas Day and the celebration of Your Son Jesus’ birth, help me not to become so caught up in cultural festivities that I neglect to spend personal time with You reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas—the fulfillment of Your promise to send mankind a Savior who would crush Satan and the evil in this world. Without Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice, let me never forget I would have nothing to celebrate this season.  Please, Father God, help me year after year to become more like Your Son, giving my all for the sake of leading others to Your doorstep and salvation in Christ.  May my life and the lives of all Christians become gifts we give back to You!

DISCLAIMER:   I am just an ordinary woman who loves Jesus, accepting Him as Savior at the age of thirty-two and digging into the Bible ever since.  How could I possibly hope to develop a heart relationship with God and trust Him with my life if I didn't know who He is?!

These devotionals are written to help you journey with Christ and grow in your heart relationship with Him.  However, it is essential that you examine my words, and those of all other "teachers," with God's Holy Word.  Therein lies the source of all truth! 

1.https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=joy+to+the+world+lyrics
2.https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/occasions/christmas/joy-to-the-world-hymn-carol-lyrics-composer/