Complimentary Story
February 2026Colossians 3:16 encourages believers to speak to one another with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs making melody in their hearts unto the Lord. But first there must be a songwriter. Let me introduce you to one.
Dr. Isaac Watts (1706 A.D.) Isaac was a very extraordinary man, born and raised in England. As a boy, he learned Latin at 4, Greek at 9, French at 11 and Hebrew at 13. Brilliant mind, but as he grew, plagued with sickness, smallpox leaving his face scarred, frail and sickly all his adult life, small in stature barely 5’. His one shot at marriage was his love for a poetess, Elisabeth Singer, but she rejected him, saying “I love your soul, but I cannot live with your face.” Even though he was rejected and alone, his relationship with God was very strong. His father Isaac Watts Sr. was a preacher, a man of conviction, imprisoned for refusing to compromise his faith. Young Isaac grew up knowing that faith wasn’t a hobby, it was a fire, it was dangerous, it cost you something.
At 18, young Isaac was discouraged with the way his father’s congregation sang from only the psalms, as they sang them without heart, without rhythm, without joy. It was a dry, dusty murmur that felt more like a funeral dirge than a celebration of the King of kings! The tradition of the day was that only the EXACT WORDS of Scripture could be sung; to write a human hymn was considered blasphemy. Isaac complained to his father — he declared “singing God’s praise is the part of worship most closely related to heaven. But its performance among us is the worst on earth.” His father shot back, perhaps just as frustrated, and said, “well give us something better then, young man.”
Young Isaac took up that challenge and went to his room, his heart pounding. He didn’t just want to write a poem, he wanted to revolutionize the way God’s people spoke to their Creator. As he sat there pondering, the words began to flow from his quilled pen and under the candlelight, he wrote his first hymn. At the next service, his father allowed him to present his work. The congregation stood, a little skeptical they had never sung human words before. His first song written: “Behold, the glories of the Lamb amidst His Father’s throne.”
As the people began to sing, something happened. The dust cleared, the air shifted, and for the first time they weren’t just reciting, they were worshiping, they were seeing Jesus the Lamb, high and lifted up. Joy filled the room, the people were ecstatic, they cried out for more, and that is exactly what he gave them.
Isaac wrote a new hymn every week for the next two years. He ended up writing over 700 powerful songs, hymns of inspiration, shaking the early foundation of the Church. As I mentioned earlier, this type of human words sung in the church was considered blasphemy. It was met with much opposition by the established, orthodox churches and his songs were banned by many — labelled unorthodox, heretical.
Yet, they managed to survive and some 320 years later, we still sing the songs Dr. Isaac Watts penned under candlelight so long ago. A song mentioned in the heading, “When I survey the wondrous cross,” another well known one, “Joy to the world,” and “We’re marching onwards to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion.”
Isaac, as I mentioned, was a very sickly man, scarred deeply for life. He became so ill at times he would be bedridden for weeks at a time, prone constantly to fevers, depression and weakness of the body, yet with such a powerful and brilliant mind.
In retrospect, as we examine Dr. Isaac Watts’ life, I see a man deeply afflicted in body, yet his soul and mind toward God was rich beyond measure. His love toward God surpassed anything this physical realm threw at him. While laying in bed staring at the ceiling, his body racked with pain, he pleaded with God to remove this thorn — pleading for healing but it never came.
That’s when he received a revelation that his suffering was not a hindrance to his worship, but it was the fuel that inspired him. During that moment, he was again inspired to write a song. He turned to Galatians 6:14, “But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The words poured out of him as his pen met paper he wrote this worship song, we still sing today!
“When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride, where the whole realm of nature mine that were a present far too small, love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”
