by Candice Watters
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 the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
Is the third stanza of “Joy to the World” just wishful thinking? All around us we see sins, sorrows, and persistent thorns. Ever since Genesis 3, this has been the norm.
But something changed when Jesus was born. His birth was like no other. Jesus’ coming made His blessings flow—the blind received their sight, the lame walked, the deaf heard, and those who believed in Him were forgiven. The inbreaking of the kingdom had begun. This is why we sing for joy.
Children and youth desperately need the people who love them to tell them that Jesus came to break the bondage of sin. Intense pressure on the young is mounting from culture, media, and peers to cast off restraint and define themselves by themselves. Daily news headlines remind us that discipling the next generation is urgent.
God is calling each of us to share this good news with the children in our lives by teaching them His Word. Knowing God’s Word by heart, says Psalm 119:11, makes it possible “that [we] might not sin against [Him.]” (Psalm 119:11). Memorizing verses shapes how we think about our circumstances and puts truth in our hearts for the Spirit to bring to mind when the evil one bombards us with lies or subtly tries to deceive us.
Jesus showed us how to stand against the schemes of the devil when He defeated him in the wilderness—we must know God’s Word.
In a day when few if any moments are calm or quiet, when smartphones, tablets, and personal devices buzz and notify without end, it’s treacherous to not have God’s Word at the ready. Knowing that those who do not obey the Son remain under God’s wrath (John 3:36), that Christ’s power rests on us in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), that God knows the details of our lives intimately (Psalm 139), that He is good and forgiving (Psalm 86:5), and that He is sovereign over everything (Isaiah 46:9-10) can make the difference in a young person’s life between going the world’s way or following Christ.
Much about “Joy to the World” points ahead to Jesus’ second coming. Only then will there be no more sins, sorrows, or thorns. Then all creation will be “set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:21).
For now, we sing with joy that Jesus was born to die so that we might live. But also, we sing with great anticipation that He is preparing to return in victory. How we long for no more sins, no more sorrows, and blessings flowing everywhere. Till then, we strive in the strength He supplies to live lives worthy of the gospel, to fight temptation and the sin that clings so closely, and to give the children in our lives the gift of the memorized Word.
Invest in the joy of the next generations
Make donations to our ministry for the eternal joy of the next generations. Your partnership through financial investment is vital for our ministry. Our annual budget depends on generous financial giving to operate and implement strategic initiatives.
Candice Watters edits the FighterVerses blog and helped create the Fighter Verses Churchwide Kit. She is married to Steve Watters, Truth78's director of marketing and resource development.
Candice is mom to Harrison, Zoe, Churchill, and Teddy and co-author with Steve of Start Your Family: Inspiration for Having Babies. The Watterses love helping parents learn how to disciple their children.
