Joy to the World

Words by Isaac Watts

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 world 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 the sounding joy (repeat the sounding joy)
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of his righteousness
And wonders of his love (wonders of his love)
And wonders of his love (wonders of his love)

And wonders, wonders of his love
And wonders, wonders of his love
And wonders, wonders of his love

Joy to the world
The wonders of your love
The wonders of your love!

Joy to the World is Isaac Watts interpretation of Psalm 98 and celebrates Christ’s second coming as well as His birth.

The Messiah’s Coming and Kingdom
4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
9 let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
Psalm 98: 4-9

Joy to the World sung by Celtic Women

Peace and Joy! 🌺

The Hymn of Promise

by, Natalie Sleeth

In the bulb, there is a flower
In the seed, an apple tree
In cocoons, a hidden promise
Butterflies will soon be free

In the cold and snow of winter
There’s a spring that waits to be
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see

There’s a song in every silence
Seeking word and melody
There’s a dawn in every darkness
Bringing hope to you and me

From the past will come the future
What it holds, a mystery
Unrevealed until its season
Something God alone can see

Hymn Of Promise sung by Debra Nesgoda

All Things Bright and Beautiful

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.
Cecil F. Alexander, 1848

Each little flow’r that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountains,
The river running by,

The sunset and the morning
That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

“All Things Bright and Beautiful All Things Bright and Beautiful,” sung by

– The Tabernacle Choir

May it bring you peace! 🌺

Rejoice in the Lord: Psalm 104:33-34

33 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the Lord.
Psalm 104:33-34 (NIV)

Rejoice, praise, pray, and give thanks to God. Sing with praise for His wonderful works, His forgiveness, and grace. The beauty of His creation and the glory of His love surrounds us. Let our meditations be sweet, pleasing to the Lord. Let them highlight God’s majesty and rejoice in His love. Rejoice in the Lord always, praise Him forever! He is our provider, our protector, our hope, and our source of joy.

³³I will sing my song to the Lord as long as I live!
Every day I will sing my praises to God.
³⁴May you be pleased with every sweet thought I have about you,
for you are the source of my joy and gladness.
Psalm 104: 32-34 (TPT)

Will you take time today to rejoice in the Lord, giving Him thanks and praise?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we rejoice and sing praises to You. Let our meditations, songs, and thoughts be pleasing to You. We thank you for Your forgiveness, mercy, and unconditional love. Lord, you are the focus of our days, our source of joy and gladness. We rejoice in You, Lord! Like the bright center of the daisy has petals radiating from it, let our days be bright centered on You and radiating Your love. In Jesus’ holy and loving name. Amen.

–

I believe in the power of prayer. If you would like prayer, I would be glad to pray for you. Leave a comment or message me on the contact page. 🌺

Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

Written by, Henry Van Dyke,

Joyful, joyful we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love
Hearts unfold like flowers before thee

Opening to the sun above
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
Drive the dark of doubt away,

Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day. All Thy works with joy surround Thee,

Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,

Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,

Flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain,

Call us to rejoice in Thee.

“This joyful ode is one of the best-known hymns in the English language. Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) was inspired in 1907 by the beauty of the Berkshire mountains where he was serving as a guest preacher at Williams College, Williamstown, Mass.
It has been said that Van Dyke handed the poem to the president of the college, saying: “Here is a hymn for you. Your mountains were my inspiration. It must be sung to the music of Beethoven’s ‘Hymn to Joy.’” The hymn appeared in the 3rd edition of Van Dyke’s Book of Poems (1911).”
www.umcdiscipleship.org history of hymns

A link to the song Joyful, Joyful We Adore You, performed by Casting Crowns.

Joy and Blessings! 🌺

Wonders: Psalm 65: 8-12

⁸The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;

where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.

⁹You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.

The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.

¹⁰You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
¹¹You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.

¹²The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.

¹³The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.

David’s psalm 65:8-12 (NIV), with visuals may you find peace, joy, and hope in God’s creation.

Take time to be still, relax, and enjoy. Blessings!

Revealed: 1Corinthians 2:9-10

But as it is written, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” ¹⁰But God has revealed those things to us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:9 (ISV)

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, was sharing the wonders of God. God provides for those who love Him, things beyond our comprehension. He forgives our sins, He loves us with unconditional love, and He sacrificed His Son to redeem us. Through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, God reveals and helps us to understand spiritual things. The Holy Spirit allows us to believe things that we can’t physically observe. When we are open and listen to the Holy Spirit, He will guide us to all truth.

When you are confused, do you stop and listen to the Holy Spirit’s direction? What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we are in awe of your miraculous works and grateful for You giving us the Holy Spirit as our helper. We thank you for the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance when we are weak or confused, and when we are overwhelmed His intercession for us in prayer. As the petunia blossoms are bright and open, help us to keep our hearts open to the Holy Spirit to reveal and understand Your teachings. In Jesus’, loving and holy name. Amen

To God Be the Glory! Romans 11:36

All things come from him. All things are directed by him. All things are for his praise. May God be given the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 11:36 (NIRV)

Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him;
Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.
Romans 11:36 (MSG)

Our Heavenly Father is the Alpha, the beginning, the source of everything, and the Omega, our hope of things to come. When we praise God, adore Him, and follow His path for us, we give glory to Him. Everything comes from Him, He is the Sustainer of the universe, He is the source and fountain of all our blessings. We give glory to God when we sing praises to Him, when we obey His Word, and when we spread His love. To God be the glory, forever! Yes! Yes! Amen.

All things come from God, and all things are directed by God. Do you take time to glorify God with praise, thanksgiving, and prayer?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your extravagant generosity. We are in awe of the beauty and bounty that surround us. Lord, guide us on Your path and open our hearts to your Word. Like the overflowing vibrant, blossoms of the clematis, teach us to be overflowing with love and vibrant in faith. To You, God, we give glory, forever and ever! In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

Wonderful World: Psalm 104:24

24 What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.
Psalm 104:24 (MSG)

We are sometimes so immersed in the problems of the day that we miss the natural wonder around us. God in His wisdom created all, He made earth overflow with diverse and wonderful creations. Even if you are sheltering at home, take time to look and enjoy nature outside your window. Take time to appreciate the small flower growing in a crack in the sidewalk, a bird filling our morning with a song, the sun shining through the clouds, the buzzing bee pollinating our crops and beautiful flowers, the joy of children singing, and the smile on the face of a neighbor walking by. Thank you Lord, for creating this wildly wonderful world, for us, to enjoy.

Will you take time to relax and enjoy God’s wildly wonderful world today?

Dear Lord, we thank You for making the earth overflow with wonderful creations. Open our eyes to the splendor and majesty that surrounds us. As the lovely bright and colorful flowers of the hibiscus grow upwards illuminated by the sun, help us to grow and be upright embracing Your Word, glowing with Your light, and sharing Your love. Our Father, we thank you for creating our wildly wonderful world and for Your loving care for us. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.

I think you will enjoy this video of second graders (a virtual choir) from Great Hearts Archway School singing “What a Wonderful World.”