Advent: Week 3

With the holiday season, there can be such a variety of emotions. We may be excited because of Christmas lights and Christmas music. We may be stressed with a busy calendar and making sure to purchase the “perfect” gift. We may be sad that this season can’t be spent with someone as in years past. We may even be angry at the brokenness of the world and the way consumerism has taken over this season. Emotions are real, but they aren’t permanent or trustworthy. Because of Jesus we can experience the attitude of JOY, especially during the Christmas season.

Indeed, God is my salvation;

I will trust him and not be afraid,

for the Lord, the Lord himself,

is my strength and my song.

He has become my salvation.”

You will joyfully draw water

from the springs of salvation,

and on that day you will say,

“Give thanks to the Lord; proclaim his name!

Make his works known among the peoples.

Declare that his name is exalted.

Isaiah 12:2-4

Joy in who God is 

We can have JOY in simply meditating on who God is. He is the Creator of EVERYTHING. Genesis 1:1 clearly states that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Some mornings I enjoy just standing outside with my dogs marveling at the beauty of the nature around me- the horses, cows, birds, and squirrels living their lives, the gentle sway of the trees in the breeze, and the mesmerizing sunrises. I’m even amazed at the way the clouds can change the look and color of the sky and the variety of greens (and browns) of the grass and trees around me. The God that we pray to and worship created all of this!!

God is the literal beginning and end. I mean, obviously if He created everything He is the beginning. But we also see in the book of Revelation that God exists for eternity. His power is unlimited. He parted waters, caused a ginormous flood, healed sick people, and so many other amazing wonders. Because God’s power is so limitless, He has no rivals! What JOY this should provide us. Sure, there are enemies of God, but they cannot even begin to compare. God is in control. He can use man’s power, pride, or laws for His glory and His good. Caesar Augustus is an example of this very thing. Caesar (as we see in Luke 2) wanted all the people to register, yet this provided for the prophecy of Jesus’ birth to take place in Bethlehem. God’s plans for you can’t be thwarted by another person or power. This fact alone brings me immense JOY.

Joy in Salvation

We experience JOY in the salvation offered to us because of Christ. We are no longer sinners when we accept the offer of forgiveness given to us in Jesus. There is no limit to His forgiveness. God knows all the wrongs you have done, but He chooses to not hold that against you or ever use your wrongs to accuse you. JOY.

Jesus brings healing and restoration, both now and in eternity. It may not always be the physical temporary healing we selfishly seek, but it is the perfect healing for our souls. JOY. God is ever so patient, wanting everyone to come to know Him. Jesus beat death and so will we- only because of the salvation we have in Christ. Granted all humans will experience physical death, but through salvation we are offered eternal life for our souls and a future resurrection and glorification of our heavenly bodies. 

Jesus has the power to make the enemy flee, all we have to do is ask!! The Bible even assures us that when we call on His name, we can avoid falling into temptation. JOY.

God meets us where we are and saves us when we can’t do a thing to save ourselves. The battle belongs to God. We know the end of the story! Take a moment to contemplate on this fact. Oh what JOY and hope it brings! No matter how desolate or disparaging our world and our lives seem at any given moment, there is no doubt how this story will end because it has already been decided! 

Joy in the relationship with God we have 

All because of Christ’s first coming, sacrifice, and atonement, we are provided the opportunity for the most beautiful gift. This gift can never be taken away from us, no matter what feelings we experience. This is the gift of a personal relationship with God. In God we have a Father, a Protector, a Friend. He is not only personal but also very powerful. God doesn’t hide from us. He welcomes time spent together. What a JOY. I’m sure we have all experienced discouragement and hurt when a friend or loved one appears to not want to spend time with us. We can rest assured that God will never feel this way. He created each of us so that we will worship Him and yearn to know Him in a personal way. 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:44

God provided His very own Son as the sacrifice for us. He tore down the biggest obstacle that we will ever face in our lives, the separation our sin brings. The separation would keep us from experiencing the intimate relationship with God that we so desire. 

Another beautiful fact that provides my soul with so much JOY: God doesn’t forget us. In the world we are replaceable. When you leave a job, someone else will soon be hired to sit at your desk and do the job you once did. When your loved one passes away, soon others will act as if that person had never existed. In the world, we are easily forgotten- sad but true. But not with God. Because He made each of us and loves us so unconditionally, we are treasured and cared about too much for Him to ever forget us! He is holding out His hand ready to pick us up every time we fall. (And boy do I fall a lot!)

Joy in the Future

I know I’ve written about the Big Daddy Weave song “Heaven Changes Everything” in a previous Advent blog post. So many other songs have also been written about the joyous moments that will be our future reality. We will see our Savior Jesus face-to-face. No more imagining what He looks like or how comforting His embrace- we will KNOW it and experience it!! JOY.

In the meantime we continue to do all we can and all we are called to do here on earth. Colossians 3:23 reminds us that we are to do everything for His glory, even “ordinary” tasks like eating and drinking. While we do all of these tasks the best we can for God’s glory, we know that it is simply temporary. All things here on earth will fade. My pain and heartache is temporary. Only Jesus remains true and steadfast. JOY!

Jesus brought JOY the first time he came to earth. Because of His sacrifice, we get to have the JOY of a personal relationship with the Most High. We can also continue to have an attitude of JOY in looking forward to His second coming and the future we will get to spend in the presence of the King of kings. 

“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart. I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Down in my heart to stay. And I’m so happy, so very happy. I’ve got the joy of Jesus in my heart.” May each of us focus on this JOY today.