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June - Jesus shall reign

Lyrics

1 Jesus shall reign where'er the sun

does its successive journeys run,

his kingdom stretch from shore to shore,

till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2 To him shall endless prayer be made,

and praises throng to crown his head.

His name like sweet perfume shall rise

with every morning sacrifice.

3 People and realms of every tongue

dwell on his love with sweetest song,

and infant voices shall proclaim

their early blessings on his name.

4 Blessings abound where'er he reigns:

the prisoners leap to lose their chains,

the weary find eternal rest,

and all who suffer want are blest.

5 Let every creature rise and bring

the highest honors to our King,

angels descend with songs again,

and earth repeat the loud amen.

(Isaac Watts, 1719)

June Bible Memory Verses

Psalm 72:17

“May his name endure forever,

his fame continue as long as the sun!

May people be blessed in him,

all nations call him blessed!”

Hymn Story

People have always been curious to travel and explore. They set out to sail to new places. Rulers of countries have also tried to grow their kingdoms and nations by conquering other ones. In the 18th century, the British empire grew in many far off places.

The hymn writer Isaac Watts lived at that time. At a time when the British empire would have been feeling confident in its strength, this hymn ‘Jesus shall reign’ was and still is a wonderful reminder that it is the Lord Jesus who will reign over the whole earth. All people from every nation, tribe, and tongue will be gathered to praise and honour Him. Empires rise and fall but the rule of the Lord will be forever.

Isaac Watts used the ideas of Psalm 72 to write this hymn. For example, in verse 8 we read about how His reign will reach everywhere.

‘May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!’

And verses 13 and 14 tell us some of what His reign is like;

‘He has pity on the weak and the needy and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.’

Isaac Watts wrote over 750 hymns. He was born in Southampton, England in 1674 and died in 1748. He was very eager to sing the thoughts of the Psalms with the truth of the Lord Jesus and what it meant to sing the Psalms as a Christian, someone who loves and follows Christ. The Psalms were written hundreds of years before Christ came to earth but the words are filled with His coming and all that He would do. And so Watts writes ‘Jesus shall reign’.

Watts is often called the father of hymnody as before him Christian singing was built around Psalm singing. Watts inspired many poets after him to write hymns about the Lord Jesus, as seen through the whole Bible. ‘Jesus shall reign’ is one of the first big ‘mission hymns’ of the Church and is sung all over the world.

Watts wrote many other things including poetry. Some of his poetry influenced the writings of Lewis Carrol and Charles Dickens!

Something to Think About

Eric Liddel was a Scottish hero. He won a gold medal in the 1924 Summer Olympics running the 400 meters race. In 1925 he left Scotland to be a missionary in China. Many were confused why he would leave while he was such an amazing star athlete and go to China. As people gathered to say goodbye to him at Waverley Train Station in Edinburgh, Scotland, he was asked why he was leaving. Instead of speaking his answer he sang the words of this hymn ‘Jesus shall reign’. To tell others about the Lord Jesus was more important to him than receiving a gold medal.

He was once asked if he regretted leaving behind his athletic career to be a missionary. He said,

"It's natural for a chap to think over all that sometimes, but I'm glad I'm at the work I'm engaged in now. A fellow's life counts for far more at this than the other.

He poured out his life into his missionary work. When the Second World War made China very unsafe he sent his wife and children to Canada but he stayed to help his brother at a missions hospital. Due to the war he was later put in prison and there he spent his last days sharing the gospel, helping the elderly, inspiring the youths. A fellow missionary said that as he thought of what it meant to follow Jesus his last words were ‘it’s complete surrender’. He knew the Lord was King and would reign forever.

You probably have lots of dreams of things you would like to do and see. I know I do! As a little girl I really wanted to sing and I wanted to travel to America! I am grateful to be able to do both things. But knowing and following the Lord is to be our first dream shaping all our other dreams and plans. There is no greater way to spend our life, no greater Name to make known, no greater love to share with our neighbor.

You do not need to wait until you grow up to do this. It is beautiful how Isaac Watts talks of the power of children’s voices singing to the Lord in this hymn. Sing to the Lord with all your heart. Show His ways in what you do and how you do it. You will help people see our Father in heaven and the Saviour who will reign forever.

Prayer

Father in heaven,

Thank You for great heroes who lived before us and who followed You. May their stories help us to love You more and follow You more closely.

Thank You that You call us to be part of Your Kingdom that will last forever. We praise You that You are a good and holy King. You care for the needy and will bring perfect justice and healing to the world through the work of the Lord Jesus. May we share this good news with those around us and those far away.

In Christ’s name, we pray,

Amen

Missed a Previous Family Hymn of the Month?

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February 2021
For The Beauty Of The Earth
March 2021
Christ the Lord has Risen Today
April 2021
Amazing Grace
May 2021
It is Well

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