"Let Earth Prepare Him Room"

Originally posted in 2022, edited on 4-26-2025.

Tonight I took some time to skim through a some hymnals for some hymns that had come to mind. "I Surrender All", "Lead Me To Calvary", "O Come Emmanuel"... I eventually ended up on a hymn we all have likely heard many times, "Joy To The World".

The line, simple as it is "Let the earth receive her king, let every heart prepare him room..." stuck out to me and almost hit me in a way - have we prepared Him room? It's easy for us to hear a convicting message and say "oh, that's not for me", and to not let God's Word refine us in the places He wills. "Repent, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded" - isn't this for us believers as well as the enemies of the cross?

Think about it - what do you spend your time on, what's in your mind day in and day out, what's that one idol that you can't give up, what's left that you haven't given up? There are things sometimes in life that can come along that sneak up and dilute the word within us, and grieve the Holy Spirit and lessen the "room" for Jesus to reside. Things like judging a brother, arguing, unforgiveness, secret ambition, lust, desire, laziness, gluttony, pride, addiction, jealousy, arrogance, haughtiness. I've also found that Christ can NEVER be LORD in one's heart if one is stil stubborn in their self will to do things their way. If we discuss and "point a finger" so to say at the things going on in the worldly churches, let us then turn that finger right back around to ourselves. It's so simple, yet easy to forget, "For ALL have sinned and fallen short"... Not one is better than another. What fills your heart? Don't hear this and say "I'm good, I haven't committed that sin, my heart is open" or "I'm glad that he said this so that so and so can hear it". Because I know it's as much me as it can be anyone. When the Bible speaks, it speaks to all of us. Don't push it aside, let it refine. What fills your heart?

"Let every heart prepare him room"... Like the good servant keeping good care of his masters house. Keeping care of his masters house, keeping the room clean for his masters' return, what's in your house?

I'm humbled and amazed by so many of these hymns, as simple as they could be but spirit filled and anointed. Look at this:

"Jesus, keep me near the cross, There a precious fountain, Free to all, a healing stream, flows from Calvary's mountain. Near the cross, a trembling soul, love and mercy found me; There the bright and Morning Star shed his beams around me. Near the cross! O Lamb of God, bring its scenes before me; Help me walk from day to day with its shadow over me. Near the cross! I'll watch and wait, hoping, trusting ever, Till I reach the golden strand, just beyond the river. "

Let's prepare him room in our heart. Let God examine our hearts and throw the rubbage out. For what brings stress, strife, etc, is it not self desires, self motives, self goals?