1 . Hear the cry from Bethlehem, O children come
Son of God now born to men, O children come
Bring your troubles, bring your fears, Bring the needs that draw you near,
Find the hope of all the years – O children come! O children come!
3. Where the Father's grace has walked, O children come
Where you see the hurt and lost, O children come
Show the mercy shown to you, Gifts of kindness to renew,
Love from hearts sincere and true – O children come! O children come!
2. Peace on earth goodwill to men, O children come
Righteous rule that will not end, O children come
Lay down all your bitterness, Turn from sin's toil and distress,
Find His grace and perfect rest – O children come! O children come!
The Gettys, who wrote this song, have a strong desire for their music to not only sound good but to also communicate biblical truth we need. In this song, “O children come” may seem like an odd repetitive line, but repeating it implies there’s something we ought to remember about ourselves and about our Savior.
Matthew 19:13-15 says, “Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’ And he laid his hands on them and went away.”
We easily acknowledge that we have sin, fears, troubles, and needs, but how often do we go to Christ with these struggles? Our sinful nature wires us to turn to anyone and anything before turning to Christ for help. So we need our hearts and minds to be rewired to come to Him; we need to sing to our soul: O children come! Come with your troubles. Come with your fears. Come with your bitterness. Come and experience the grace, kindness, and rest that Jesus has ready for you!
Use this song to rewire your heart and mind to seek Christ with all that you have. Let it be a reminder to bring your sin, fears, troubles, needs, and then be met with “the hope of all the years,” and “His grace and perfect rest!” Your loving, gracious Savior says to come to Him. Bring all that you have, and be known by Him. “O children, come!”
— Kimber Callen