Come People of the Risen King by Keith and Kristyn Getty, and Stuart Townend, 2007.

Verse 1:

Come, people of the Risen King,
Who delight to bring Him praise;
Come all and tune your hearts to sing
To the Morning Star of grace.
From the shifting shadows of the earth
We will lift our eyes to Him,
Where steady arms of mercy reach
To gather children in.

Chorus:

Rejoice, Rejoice! Let every tongue rejoice!
One heart, one voice; O Church of Christ, rejoice!

Observe: We lift our eyes to the Morning Star of grace “from the shifting shadows of the earth.” Shadows do shift as dawn approaches, but shifting shadows are also the daily events in life that are opportunities, and problems, blessings, and curses.

Therefore, God’s “steady arms of mercy” are important to us each day. The Psalmist writes, Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. (Psalm 106:47).

God has saved us! Confident in our salvation, we rejoice, lifting our eyes from the shifting shadows of the earth to the Son, who always shines with God’s promises.

Verse 2:

Come, those whose joy is morning sun,
And those weeping through the night;
Come, those who tell of battles won,
And those struggling in the fight.
For His perfect love will never change,
And His mercies never cease,
But follow us through all our days
With the certain hope of peace. Rejoice, rejoice, let every tongue rejoice.

“Rejoice” is found 233 times in the Bible, and it describes not just a feeling, but an action, both individually and together. Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. (Psalm 5:11a). Even when we are fearful, His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5).

The prophet Jeremiah saw Jerusalem destroyed, and the people taken into bondage. Line 5-8 of verse two reprises Jeremiah, who writes, The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22–23).

In the best known Psalm, David writes, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6). His mercies will “follow us through all our days” and into eternity because of His mercy we will dwell in his house forever.

Verse 3 invites “young and old, from every land, everyone with faith, whether rich or poor, full or empty. All can find lasting riches in His grace. The steady truth of every age is, “Our God is all in all!”

So, let’s rejoice with one heart and one voice, “O church of Christ rejoice.”

Blessings, Pastor Don.