HEAVEN AND NATURE

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.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

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, wonders, of His love.

(Hymn written in 1719 by Isaac Watts (1674-1748) English songwriter and theologian)

This four-verse hymn is based on Psalm 98 and Genesis 3. (Not too many have been singing verse 3) What has always grabbed me about this Joy to the World song is the emphasis on ‘heaven and nature’ singing together. Jesus prayed a similar theme in Matthew 6, “Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven…”

“For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Jesus