The first week of Advent, we lit the candle of HOPE, welcoming with anticipation what lay ahead; the second week, we lit the candle of PEACE, greeting the Prince of Peace and our role as peacemakers; this week, we light the candle of JOY, the Shepherd’s candle.
The message came to the shepherds watching their sheep on that amazing night when their regular lonely vigil was interrupted by a heavenly choir and the announcement— “I bring you good news of great joy…” (Luke 2:10)
Joy Unfolding
I wonder what comes to your mind as you think of joy. In my early life as a Christian, the emphasis was on joy not meaning happiness—as if that emotion was frowned on. I find that sad now, because joy is central to Jesus’ coming to earth to bring us life, more abundant life. Possibly we have tended to see happiness as based on circumstances—getting what we want.
The joy God promises us comes out of deep abiding delight in being in His presence; this is available even during struggles because it flows from Jesus. This is our God, humbling Himself to be born as a baby, offering us the gift of joy. This joy is to be our strength!
And in the beatitudes we've been studying some translations say happy instead of blessed! And we have looked at the things that Jesus promised would make us happy—not the things we usually choose! Does God intend us to be happy and, if so how, what and how have we missed it?
“I have told you this [to abide in Me],” Jesus promised, “that My joy may be in you, and your joy complete.” (John 15:11) The challenge here is to look at what you are asking for, where your focus is, what you think you need for your joy to be complete.
I had a situation amongst my peeps this last week where I'd asked for specific prayer about what seemed an impossible situation. When I heard that the impossible had happened, I was filled with awe and wonder and joy! Do my prayers get answered so seldom? Was it just that the situation seemed impossible, and the answer came so specifically through God speaking to my friend? I wonder if I had forgotten that it is our need that beckons the miracle, that invites from God the provision of Himself!
Joy Observed
I'm sitting in the library as I write, watching a little child run up to a wall and begin to discover what it offers-- so totally engaged, so full of excitement, she's even singing!
Another child climbs a mound of grass in the middle of the playground outside my window; he looks at his dad with hands outstretched and a smile of glee, then walks carefully down that mountain and runs off to discover the next joyous moment!
Small wonder Jesus invited us to be like children; for them, any little thing can invoke wonder and possibility.
Is there an invitation to us this Advent season to rediscover joy, to welcome wonder, to explore possibility, to allow the small gifts of the day lead us into joy?
Joy Discovered
The joy of the Lord, the Psalmist says is our strength—not just a good feeling but the shield or guard against discouragement, anger or fear. How do we practically tap into that joy during times of darkness, of stress, of grief, of longing?
My friend shared her story with me. She was facing a situation that she didn’t want. Her response was frustration and annoyance; a wish to not be involved, although that was not a choice she could make. Her dark mood followed her for the rest of the day, coloring everything that happened, every person she met. The following morning, she awoke to God’s voice, inviting her to a different perspective. She realized that she needed to confess the reality of her emotions, to acknowledge that she had been feeding those emotions, allowing them to circle round and round in her mind throughout the day. As she responded to God’s invitation, she opened herself to seeing His gifts! This was not a denial of her black mood, putting a Band-Aid on to cover it, as it were. Confession was an important starting point for her, speaking her truth, and then looking to God for His forgiveness and allowing a different outcome as she looked back on her day, recognizing the gifts He had given her, which led to great joy!.
There will always be struggles. I wonder if we want joy to come out of something easy and light—something beautiful we can enjoy from a distance. Maybe God has given us those places where we struggle as gifts, that keep inviting us into His presence, to seeing life as He does.
The gifts can be just small things--the incredible sunrise I caught a glimpse of through my kitchen window this morning; the smell of coffee and that first delicious sip; the smile of a loved one; the reminder of something you have forgotten but need to do (thank You, Holy Spirit); the text from a friend; any act of kindness comes from the Father of love.
Do you need a change of perspective or to let go of expectations? Is God inviting you to choose to trust that He loves you and is for you far more than you are for yourself? Are you willing to make the choice to confess your faults and accept God’s forgiveness? And then, to forgive yourself for not being who you would like to be; forgive your loved ones for ways they let you down; forgive your circumstances for not matching your sense of need or longing; forgive God for not being Santa, for not apparently rewarding your good behavior.
Can we focus on all that we have in this land of plenty, rather than on what we lack? Can we allow our hearts to rise and worship, to sing the songs of hope and thanksgiving? Gratitude is a key to joy.
Even during difficulties, can we recognize that God is at work, that nothing's ever wasted, that everything is in His hands? The incarnation, God’s embracing of our human condition, is the constant reminder of this: He came unexpectedly- in time and in form. Can we believe that He will come into our circumstances, that miracles still are possible, that dead bones can live again, that the unhealed places deep in our souls can be healed?
Joy Unwrapped
Think of an incident in your life when you knew God was present, and the impossible became possible. Sit for a moment and allow the memory to touch you—physically, emotionally, and in your spirit. Relive the relief, the wonder, the joy! Hold on to that today in the area of your greatest need--- not as a demand, but as a stance of gratitude and acknowledgment that God is present and that he is longing to make your joy complete as you trust in Him.
Remember Jesus’ words: “I have told you this [to abide in Me], that My joy may be in you, and your joy complete.” (John 15:11) Imagine joy complete!
Ask God for eyes to see your life from His perspective, to know that even among the challenges, He has gifts for you; begin to count the gifts and enter into real joy.
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