Have you ever had a light bulb moment with song lyrics? Maybe you have been singing a tune for your whole life, and then finally, out of nowhere, the meaning of the words just clicks and makes sense.
That’s what happened to me last December with “Joy To The World.”
Joy to the world
The Lord has 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
“Let every heart prepare Him room.” That’s the line that jumped out at me last Christmas.
As we sang this famous Christmas carol last year during our church service, that line (the phrase I have probably sung hundreds of times throughout my life) brought my mind to this passage:
“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:4-7 NIV)
NO ROOM. Jesus came to earth to be with us, and He didn’t even have a prepared room to be born in. This was not due to lack of preparation by God the Father, but rather this humble setting was part of a perfect plan.
It’s not about physical places, but rather spiritual spaces.
There may not have been a “Vacant Room” sign in Bethlehem when our Messiah was born, but today, we all have the opportunity to open our hearts and prepare room for Jesus.
Every heart is an available open space. The vacancy will be filled. It’s just a question of--what or who will fill it?
This is where the line from “Joy To The World” comes in. “Let every heart prepare Him room.” As we open our hearts and invite Jesus to fill this space, we can experience the joy that only He can provide!
The Good News . . . Not only are we preparing a room in our heart for God, but God is preparing rooms for us in heaven.
This is what Jesus told the disciples as He was getting them ready for His earthly departure:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3 NIV)
This is our promise of God’s prepared rooms for believers. When we make room for God as the King in our heart, He prepares an eternal place for us to be with Him in heaven.
“However, as it is written: ’What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’— the things God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV)
Not that we deserve it, but I believe our prepared room will be way nicer than a stable setting!