I suspect that most of us like to sing Christmas carols. Even for those whose voice produces more of a joyful “sound” than a “song,” then I suspect that you at least like to hear others sing Christmas carols. I have come to really love some of the new, contemporary songs that I have found like “Prince of Heaven” and “Joseph’s Song.” If you haven’t heard them yet, you might want to check them out on your most convenient music app. But one of my all-time and “old time” favorites is “Joy to the World.”

As you know, the song begins with the lyrics, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King.” As the lyrics tell us, Jesus’s birth gives us a reason to be joyful because through Him the chains of sin and death have been broken and the door has been opened for us to receive the gift of “LIFE” from Jesus, the only One who can give it.  

The author of the carol invites all the “earth” to receive her King, that is, he is inviting every person on planet Earth to receive the King specifically sent to us, and that includes you and me. The Apostle John wrote in his Gospel, “To those who receive Him, to those who believe in His name, He gives them the right to be called children of God” (Jn. 1:12). And then as John wrote in his first letter to the churches scattered around the Roman Empire, “See how great is the love that the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God, and that is indeed what we are” (1 Jn. 3:1). Notice what John is saying: He is telling those who receive Him that they are not only given a new title, namely a “child of God,” but that this is actually who they now are. In other words, their new title as “child of God” goes along with their new identity, that is, God’s child.  

And then there is the line in the carol which says, “Let every heart prepare Him room.” Of course, in the story of Jesus’ birth, there was no room for Joseph and Mary in the “motel,” and so they were directed to a stable where Mary soon gave birth to Jesus. Another contemporary Christmas song is entitled, “No Room.” A portion of the lyrics are, “No room, here in the hearts of mankind; No room, no cheery welcome could find; No room, surely the world is blind; No room, No room.” Surely, these lyrics could be directed toward any one of us, couldn’t they?

So, how do we make room, not for a baby, but for the King of kings? If a King were to announce that He was coming to visit your home, what would you do? You would clear out the clutter and make room for the King to “feel at home” in your home, that is, in your heart. Maybe it’s time this Christmas to make room for the King in your heart. You may think that you simply cannot clear out the clutter because it’s just too entrenched in your life. The truth is, you can’t, but God can. He specializes in “clutter removal.” Just ask Him to remove it so that He will have room to live. Now that would be a spectacular Christmas present, from Jesus to you.