The excitment, pressure, dread, or ________________ (fill in the blank) is ramping up now isn’t it? As I write about the topic of JOY, it is less than a week before Christmas Day! All the plans are set, gifts are mostly purchased and soon will be wrapped, and the final grocery list has been written. Does this ring familiar to you? If you equate joy with happiness, excitment, and anticipation of good things then you are on point with the world’s view of Christmas. At least those are all of the things we talk about. The children. The presents. The music and the sugar! Happy happy happy. Joy joy joy.
Scripture
Philippians 4:4
Psalm 105:42-43
Exodus 15:1-3
Psalm 19:7-11
Genesis 3:1-7
Isaiah 51:11
Isaiah 49:13
Luke 2:9-11
Matthew 5:11-12
Acts 13:50-52
Hebrews 12:-3
1 Corinthians 6:10
These scriptures remind us to be joyful and that we are the object of God’s joy.
They give us reasons to be joy-filled and why we should be celebrating.
They direct us to the place we can find joy and where we cannot.
They recount the events for rejoicing.
They announce the arrival of our source of joy.
And where the truth and your life intersect they give you the recipe to maintain your joy.
Lessons
I encourage you to read and dwell on the walk-through JOY that our reading plan lays out for us in the list above.
It seems rather impossible to take seriously God’s instruction to His people to celebrate and be filled with joy, don’t you think?
When “life” is happening. Cars break. Jobs are lost. Food costs too much. People get sick. Kids are having trouble with school. Relatives are not speaking. Friends just aren’t there when you “need them”. How in the midst of all of this pain and distress are we supposed to be filled with joy?
challenge
It’s a good question, but I encourage you to back up and understand what joy means. When you understand that Philippians 4:4 is telling you to “be glad” or “rejoice exceedingly” it is directing your attention toward all that you have to be glad about. It is not telling to review all of the things that don’t have from your wish list.
Trust me when I say that your “reasons to be glad” list is much longer than your “reasons to frown” list.
Secondly, I would say that you need to understand where your joy comes from.
I’ll give you a hint, it does not come from giving or receiving the perfect gift. It does not come from finding the perfect mate. It does not come from buying the perfect house or working the perfect job. Some of those things are very fun, happy moments to celebrate, and bring many giggles and smiles but none of them last.
“I would direct you to read further in this chapter and memorize Philippians 4:8.
Perspective is everything!
Joy in the good times and the bad times is all possible when you know what joy is and where it comes from.
Friends! Look up and around and be filled with the joy that never dies.
Before we meet again, I wish you a Joy-Flooded Christmas, because our Savior has left heaven and was born on this earth to show us what love truly is and to rescue us.