Joy to the World (Shine His Light)

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The Story Behind Joy to the World (Shine His Light)

Isaac Watts wrote this hymn in 1719 as a poetic reflection on Psalm 98, never intending it to be only a Christmas song. A century later, Lowell Mason paired it with a melody and together it formed the Christmas carol we know today.

What I love about Joy to the World is that it doesn’t merely celebrate Christ’s birth—it declares His reign. “The Lord is come” is both a past event and a present truth. He has come, He is here, and He will come again. Every time we sing it, we join creation in that Psalm 98 chorus of praise: “Let heaven and nature sing!”

The chorus I wrote in this new arrangement added yet another component of how we are to shine as His lights for the world to see, and how our hearts are set free in Him and those testimonies are exactly what shines so brightly for His glory. I also slowed down the tempo of this normally fast paced song, and I feel it allows us to marinate in the truth of this song a bit more than we normally do and encourage us to shine as lights to this dark world.

True joy isn’t a fleeting feeling—it’s the unshakable gladness and gratitude that Christ has redeemed us and set our hearts free to walk in Him.

Bible Verses & Biblical Themes in Joy to the World (Shine His Light)

• Main theme: The triumph of Christ’s reign and the joy of salvation
• “The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice” (Psalm 97:1a)
• “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)
• “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Chords & Lyrics

Here are the lyrics, chords will have to come later.

Joy to the World (Shine His Light)

Krystal Craven

Verse 1:
Joy to the world; the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing

Chorus:
Shine His light, let the world see
Joy has come, our hearts set free

Verse 2:
Joy to the Earth, the Savior reigns
Our mortal songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy

Chorus:
Shine His light, let the world see
Joy has come, our hearts set free

Verse 3:
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

Chorus:
Shine His light, let the world see
Joy has come, our hearts set free

Verse 4:
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love

Chorus:
Shine His light, let the world see
Joy has come, our hearts set free

Verse 1:
Joy to the world; the Lord is come
Let Earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing

Chorus:
Shine His light, let the world see
Joy has come, our hearts set free