December 23, 2024

The Joy of the Lord Is Our Strength

December 16, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphic

Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10b

Joy comes from deep down in the heart. It comes not because you have some good happenings around you. No, it comes whether all is well (or not). The truth that remains in your heart is you have a loving and caring Father who will take care of all issues.

This declaration of God’s Word accompanied by sincere desire to follow its instruction will result in a true heartfelt joy. This joy of the Lord is based on reconciliation with God and the presence of the Spirit in our lives. This joy is for everyone and we can only attain this joy when we are in His Presence.

This joy is promised to us by our God:

For his anger lasts only a moment but his favour lasts a lifetime, weeping may remain for a night but rejoicing <joy> comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.
Psalms 126:5 -6

I will clothe her priest with salvation and her saints shall ever sing for joy.
Psalm 132:16

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation…
Isaiah 12:3

…And the ransomed of the Lord will return, they will enter Zion with singing
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 35:10

We thank God for the many promises that follow us by being in His Presence where fullness of joy is found. I choose therefore to remain in His Presence to benefit all the promises written. I pray you choose this also for in His Presence there is, indeed, fullness of joy.

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Lord God, King of glory, blessed be Your Holy Name! How excellent is Your Name in all the earth. Clothed with righteousness, honor and majesty…we bless You. Thank You for Your promises to us which are Yes and Amen. Thank You for allowing us to be co-heirs with Christ Jesus that this fullness of joy should be our inheritance. Thank You for loving us this much. We adore You, Abba Father. By Your grace, Lord, sustain us in Your Presence all the time…in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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Joy of Growth

December 15, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphic

You love Him even though you have never seen Him.
Though you do not see Him, you trust Him;
and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy.
Your reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:8-9

My heart was filled with joy this past Sunday (December 7). Our daughter turned four just a little over a month ago. Now, at our church, they have nursery for those 4 and under during early and late services. We usually attend the early service. (Yes, I manage to get a 4-year-old and 6-year-old up early on Sunday mornings in order to make 8 am church service.) I decided to try something this past Sunday with our daughter…and I hoped that it would not backfire on me.

Now as I was saying, our daughter just turned 4. I decided to take her with us to “big” church this Sunday to see how she would do. I was nervous thinking she would be loud and wiggly like a lot of kids. However, I had faith. I also made sure to have a coloring book and pad of paper available for her to draw on to keep her busy. She surprised me, though. She tried to sing the first chorus with us, and the only major thing she did was she was a little wiggly and curious. She never did get loud. My heart really filled for joy when she put our Lottie Moon offering in the offering plate. It was the joy of being a parent and watching my child learn.

I can only imagine the amount of joy that Mary felt that first Christmas night. Her firstborn Son was born, but also her Savior was born. She was overjoyed that she had been chosen to be His mother. She would have the joy of watching Him grow and mature into adulthood. She already knew the pain and anguish that would come with being His mother, but she trusted God. Mary put her whole faith in God. By putting her faith in God, Mary knew that she was given a most glorious gift.

Just as Mary had faith in God, we should have faith as well. Our faith in Jesus can bring us joy all year long—not just during this time of the year. Our reward for trusting in Him and believing that He died on the Cross for us is the saving of our souls when Jesus returns. We will go to Heaven with Him and celebrate in great joy and peace.

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the birth of Your Son. Without Him we would be nothing. Thank You for the joy of watching our own children grow and for the chance to lead them in them in the right direction—to You. Watching them and guiding them brings its own joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Joy To The World

December 15, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n, and heav’n, and nature sing

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy

No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found
Far as the curse is found
Far as, far as, the curse is found

He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders, of His love

Written by Isaac Watts; Arrangement by Lowell Mason

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has done wonderful deeds.
His right hand has won a mighty victory; His holy arm has shown His saving power!
The Lord has announced His victory and has revealed His righteousness to every nation!
He has remembered His promise to love and be faithful to Israel.
The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!
Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn.
Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!
Let the sea and everything in it shout His praise!
Let the earth and all living things join in.
Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!
Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness.
Psalm 98 NLT

As I was researching this song I came across the following excerpt on its history:

“The text of Joy to the World was originally titled “The Messiah’s Coming and Kingdom” when it first appeared in Watt’s Psalms of David Imitated of 1719. It was his interpretation of Psalm 98 which read in the King James Bible, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.” Watts connected the joy found in the Psalm to the worship and praise of the coming Messiah. The song was conceived by Watts as a poem celebrating the second and final coming of Jesus but as we know, it has become a precious Christmas carol for the churches. It would not get set in its current musical form until a Jersey born son named Lowell Mason put his musical arrangements to the hymn in 1836.”

I find it interesting that this was written about Christ’s second Coming but has become a beloved carol celebrating His first Coming.  Yet it all ties together neatly, for without the first Coming there would be no second Coming.

As I was reading all of this, God prodded me with a question,

“Have you prepared room in your heart?”

My first response was “Of course!”  I accepted Christ as my Savior as a child.  But God made it clear He wasn’t talking about that.  He wanted to know if I had made room in my busyness for Him.  Ouch!  Why is it we become so consumed with the shopping, the gifts, the preparations, and the celebrations we forget the joy?  Joy is found in what Christ has done for us not in what we do to celebrate His birth.  It is a gladness, an exultation that leads us to rejoice.  Look at Psalm 92:4 NLT…

You thrill me, Lord, with all You have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what You have done.

That’s what Christmas should be about.  We should be so thrilled at the reminder of all He has done that we cannot contain our joy!   We have to sing.  Our excitement as we recall the wonders of His love is to be shared.

The light in the eyes [of him whose heart is joyful] rejoices the hearts of others…
Proverbs 15:30a AMP

Have you made room in your heart for Him?
Is the light in your eyes bringing joy to someone else?

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Lord, we thank You for this wondrous time of year.  Remind me to check my heart and make sure there is plenty of room for You instead of getting caught up in my own busyness.  Bring to mind the wonderful things You have done for me.  May I reflect the joy of what You have done.  In Christ’s name, I pray – Amen, it is so!

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Joy in the Night

December 14, 2014 by

gchSHadventjoygraphic

For hundreds of years the Jewish people had prepared for and hoped for the Messiah to come. Finally the time had arrived, but it didn’t come as many had expected—with great fanfare and pomp. (Not that angels lighting perhaps a moonless sky wasn’t pretty fantastic!) But there was no big parade in the middle of the day down the center of town for all to see. Instead it came to a few. Instead it came to the forgotten of society. Instead it came in the darkness of night.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them,
and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.
They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.
“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born….
Luke 2:8-11

The joyful news of the arrival (the Advent) of the long awaited Savior, the Messiah, came at night. Not only was the world dark with physical night-time. I quote from Reverend Billy Graham,

“It wasn’t night because the sun had gone down. It was night because the world was surrounded in spiritual and moral gloom. People were driven by greed, intolerance, and lust for power. Religion had become a device for the rich in the exploitation of the poor. Men robbed and swindled and profiteered under the cloak of religion; they even fought wars in the name of religion. In every arena of life, it was night when Jesus came.”

excerpted from Arrival, Preparing to Celebrate Christ’s Birth.
(click here for a free download of this devotional)

And all this is still true today. People still live in darkness—the darkness of all kinds of sin and its repercussions. But the joyful news is that Jesus came, and He brought light to all mankind.

The Rock of Israel said to me:
‘The One who rules righteously,
Who rules in the fear of God,
is like the Light of morning at sunrise,
like a morning without clouds,
like the gleaming of the sun
on new grass after rain.’
2 Samuel 23:2-4

Jesus, the Light of morning, came for all people so that none of us would have to walk in darkness.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world.
Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.
John 8:12

Jesus knew that His Light would bring life and joy to all who choose to follow Him. Even in His last major prayer for His disciples He said this:

“Now I am coming to You <His Father.>
I told them many things while I was with them in this world
so they would be filled with My joy.
I have given them Your Word.”
John 17:13-14

If you feel forgotten, if you are mourning, if you are still walking in darkness, then now is the time to allow Jesus, the Light of the world, to step into your world and give you His life and His joy.  Rejoice with great joy!  Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is the Light of the morning!  We don’t have to walk in the darkness of night (sin), because JOY comes in the morning!

Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!
Praise His holy name.
For His anger lasts only a moment,
but His favor lasts a lifetime!
Weeping may last through the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
that I might sing praises to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever!
Psalms 30:4-5, 11-12

Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains!
For the LORD has comforted His people
and will have compassion on them in their suffering.
Isaiah 49:13

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your great compassion.  Thank You for Your joy that comes when we walk out of our “night” and into Your Light.  For those who make that decision during this Christmas season, I pray they will experience Your Light and Joy like they have never experienced anything before.  For those of us who already walk in Your light, we thank You for Your Joy, unspeakable joy!  You are our Light of Life!  All honor and glory belong to You, our Savior and King!  IT IS SO!

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What Do My Words Really Say?

May 11, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

But let all those who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice;
let them ever sing and shout for joy,
because You make a covering over them and defend them;
let those also who love Your name be joyful in You and be in high spirits.
Psalm 5:11

Though we are not made righteous by our words, our words are evidence of our righteousness.  They give proof to our relationship with Christ.  Psalm 5:11 says the righteous rejoice, they shout with joy.  These are heartfelt, glorious outbursts of enthusiasm and joy.  Yet I tend to be more restrained for fear of offending. However, as Charles Spurgeon puts it “The ungodly are not half so restrained in their blasphemy as we are in our praise.”  Ouch!

Multiple times in the Book of Psalms alone we are told to rejoice:

Psalm 9:2 NIV
I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing the praises of Your name, O Most High

Psalm 32:11 NASB
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;

Psalm 33:1 AMP
Rejoice in the Lord, O you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you upright in right standing with God]; for praise is becoming and appropriate for those who are upright [in heart].

Psalm 64:10 NLT
The godly will rejoice in the Lord

Psalm 68:3 NLT
But let the godly rejoice.

I love that Psalm 33:1 says it …’is becoming and appropriate’ for the upright to rejoice. But do my words really matter?

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life
Proverbs 10:11

The words of the godly encourage (feed, nourish) many
Proverbs 10:21

…the words of the godly save lives.
Proverbs 12:6

I believe the answer is a resounding YES!  My words are a reflection of my relationship with Christ.  They are verbal evidence, living proof of that relationship.  So, I must ask myself:

  • Do my words exalt God; do they speak of my confidence in Him and His protection?  Or do they reflect the doubt of my circumstances?
  • Do my words consistently reflect the joy I have in Christ?  Or is the joy there only when it is smooth sailing?
  • Am I able to rejoice and praise God in the midst of the storm, taking refuge in Him alone?
  • Do my words enrich and encourage other, pointing the way back to my God?  What do my words really say about my God?

  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

Father God, thank You so much for Your blessings in my life.  I lift up Your Holy Name.  Let my words be a joyful reflection of Your love, offering a glimpse of what life with You is like.  May my words be consistent and my rejoicing unrestrained.  In Your precious and Holy Name I pray.  Amen, so be it.

 

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You Are

January 10, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

  ~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

When I can’t find the words to say how much it hurts
You are the healing in my heart
When all that I can see are broken memories
You are the light that’s in the dark

You are the song, You are the song I’m singing
You are the air, You are the air I breathe in
You are the hope, You are the hope I’m needin’…You are

And when my circumstance leaves me with empty hands
You’re the Provider of my needs
When all my dirtiness has left me helpless
You are the rain that washes me

If I had no voice, if I had no tongue—I would dance for You like the rising sun
And when that day comes and I see Your face
I will shout Your endless, glorious praise

 

~  written and performed by Colton Dixon  ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He is my Healer, my Hope…the rain that washes me. He is the song that I am singing. What about you, dear sister? Is HE your everything? Even in the rain, is He your hope?

I love this song. Because even when I am hurting, and my circumstances are difficult, and the dirtiness of my past has left me helpess…He IS and WAS my Hope, My Healer from the pain.

Even in the most difficult of circumstances He is the song I am singing. God showed me this verse in one of the most difficult of circumstances in my life.

And be not grieved and depressed,
for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.
Nehemiah 8:10 AMP

You see, my son was going through a sleep disorder at the time that caused him to have seizures while he was sleeping. We walked through this for about 7 months before he was completely healed from it. That was one of the most difficult walks I have had thus far with God. But joy was possible because it was found in Him. I watched God use that situation with my son for Good over and over again. If I was focused on my circumstances, I would slowly feel my joy being drained from me as well as my strength. But when I focused on God—my joy in Him began to return and the peace that surpasses all understanding began to wash over me! And He would remind me that I was ok. It was then that I would regain my strength.

I got to thinking about this verse, “…the joy of the Lord is my strength and stronghold…” How do I find joy in the midst of the most difficult of circumstances? The answer is found IN THE LORD! Joy and happiness are two different things. Happiness is a feeling and is dependent on circumstances.  Joy is only found in the Lord and is NOT dependent on my circumstances. So even in the midst of the most difficult of circumstances, I hang onto my joy because if I let my joy be stolen… there goes my strength. And in Romans 8:28 God reminds us that He causes “all things to work together for good to those who love God, and to those who are called according to His purpose.”  So be encouraged, dear sister, that even in the hardest of situations joy and peace in the Lord is possible…but it is ONLY found in HIM!!!

 *   *   *   *   *  

Heavenly Father, I pray this day for each and every one of my sisters  that may be struggling to find the joy in You in their difficult circumstances. I pray that they would get their eyes focused back on You and that they would be encouraged that You will use it for their good and for Your glory; in Jesus’ name. Amen!!

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Interested in joining us for our next Online Bible Study that starts on January 13, 2014?   Click HERE for more details!

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REjoice In The Lord

January 2, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

So, I’ll just say it now…rejoicing is all about being joyful in the midst of trying circumstances and troubles. It’s about bringing it back to joy. It’s about not losing our joy. It’s about joy—no matter what.  (Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called rejoicing!)

Joy is a beautiful, righteous, God-given thing! Little children sing, “I have the joy…joy…joy…joy down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart to stay!”  And that is the TRUTH!  Joy needs to remain down in our heart!  However, we live in a broken, confused, evil-influenced world.  And much determines to take our joy away.

In the Book of James, we read in chapter 1 verse 2:
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Other versions interpret the word ‘endurance’ as steadfastness, patience, or perseverance.  And this—the patience, the persevering, the remaining steadfast, the enduring—this is what we can do to  keep our joy when trials come along.

When times are hard and tough…when we seem to be continually struggling….when the light at the end of the tunnel seems SO far away—that is when we are to ‘consider it all joy!’ Please know (be assured!) that you are not the only one to say, “What?!? Not possible!”

If someone suggested it as a ‘positive confession’ or if I read it in a self-help book…then I would be able to totally disregard it.  Agreed?  BUT, this is not just a mantra to help me train my mind. Nor is it a positive little ditty to sing to myself.  N.O….this is TRUTH from the Bible.  And so—no matter what—I need to find a way no matter what to rejoice.

And did you notice that little word attached to joy in verse 2 (‘all’)? It  means great joy, full joy, pure joy, wholly joyful. Again, if I read this anywhere else, I would wholeheartedly refute the possibility!  However, I read it in God’s Holy Word, the Bible. So it must be possible! It must be available with the help of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to hold onto joy.

I do believe that one very important way to ‘consider it all (pure, full, great) joy’ is through the encouragement of singing!  Remember the Scripture which has inspired this blog?

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,
with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another
with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:16

Listen to this incredible song, would you? This song is part of the bedrock of my soul…it encourages me so greatly! I learned this song from a group of Mennonite teenagers over 18 years ago…. And I have never forgotten it!  It was written by a man, Ron Hamilton, who had struggled with cancer…in fact, he lost his eye to this disease…for a number of years. But he and his wife placed their trust in the faithfulness of God Almighty. And they considered these trials and struggles to be ‘all joy!’  I pray that the words of this song will truly teach and admonish your heart…encouraging you to always find your way back to joy—no matter what!  If I can pray with you, please contact me; I would consider it my  joy and privilege!

 

Oh, Rejoice in the Lord

God never moves without purpose or plan, When trying His servant and molding a man. Give thanks to the LORD though your testing seems long; In darkness He giveth a song. 

I could not see through the shadows ahead; So I looked at the Cross of my Savior instead. I bowed to the will of the Master that day; Then peace came and tears fled away.

Now I can see testing comes from above; God strengthens His children and purges in love. My Father knows best, and I trust in His care; Through purging more fruit I will bear.

O Rejoice in the LORD, He makes no mistake, He knoweth the end of each path that I take, For when I am tried And purified, I shall come forth as gold.

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Joyful Mood

December 28, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Hey sisters, you know what joys a baby brings to a family! How about a miracle Baby like Jesus, who came into being through so many prophecies, miraculously, for that matter. Think of Mary how much joy did she have in her heart when the angel visited her despite being worried of what people, and what they would say about her.

I tell you a child brings GREAT joy to a family. Think of Hanna…she was grieved to a point of great distress that Eli thought she was drunk. Really, she needed a child. She cried to the Lord for a child and God granted the desire of her heart. She had great joy!

Now a child is given to us, JESUS—He should be received with all the joy a child brings! Especially now that this Child we have been given will have the power to heal all our diseases, remove all our iniquities, at His name every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess His Lordship. A Child who will have the power to speak to the devil and the devil tremble. And this Child is given to us; don’t we think we are privileged to be given this type of a child? I feel like singing aloud for you to hear what am feeling inside. (Thank God for this revelation!) Oh, HALLELUJAH! Praise the Lord!!!

In this world, when we have a child, he/she goes to school and later starts a job and we enjoy the fruit of paying the school fees and the like.

NOW this Child, Jesus, is given to us. He grew up, He worked, and He died on the Cross. He later paid the bill for us…for our redemption. What else do we need apart from appreciating this Child we are given freely by our loving Father in heaven? The way we dance with joy and hug our child when he /she has done something good—that’s the very same joy we should feel about God’s Son, Jesus. We write messages telling our friends/relatives what our child has done.

Here Jesus is not a mere son, but THE Son! He has come to serve; let’s praise the Lord again and again. Let’s tell our friends and relatives of what this Son, Whom we were given, has done and is doing and shall continue to do. Let us embrace Him with our hearts full of joy.
Let this Christmas season be full of joy. Share the joy with others the same way we share when we receive a worldly child.

* * * * *

Father, we thank You for giving Your Son, Jesus, to this world. We appreciate Your goodness and Your loving kindness. May we realize what Jesus came to this world for and let us not take it for granted. Help us, Lord, to realize what He has in store for us! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

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God-Given Joy

December 27, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

Each week during the season of Advent, our blogs will focus on a central theme which is associated with the coming of Christ—His Advent.  This final week’s theme is JOY.  Christians throughout the world celebrate Advent.  Some light candles or sing songs; some give gifts or  hang wreaths.  All of these are simple joyous ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’s coming beyond a mere 24 hours on December 25. Our prayer is that these devotionals throughout this season of Advent would help you to celebrate His first Coming and anticipate with the peace and joy of His second Coming.

I’m sitting here thinking about joy  and what it truly means. I have read books, watched videos, and talked to people about the concept of joy and what it really means to be joyful, or to have joy, or to even fully understand the word joy.

The words joy and happiness are oftentimes used interchangeably, but I think it’s so much more than simple happiness. We’re happy opening presents, we’re happy when our family and friends are over to celebrate. This is great! But happiness is a temporary emotion, a feeling that can leave us once something goes differently than we planned. But joy is something different….

After all the looking and researching I learned that joy isn’t simply something that I can find. It isn’t the contents inside of a gift…it isn’t something I can find in a job well done. Even though I can’t touch joy, I can embrace it. I can embrace it because it is something that is given to us—something that we, as children of God, have been given a right to.

To me joy is a feeling in my heart and mind that no matter what happens in my life, that everything will be okay. I have joy in knowing that I am loved with the most unconditional love by the Creator of everything. Growing up I always heard that our joy is something that no man can ever take, that Satan can never take; this is because joy is God-given, and what God gives us can never, ever  be touched. Joy is ours.
What is joy to you?

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials….
James 1:2

* * * * *

Let’s pray: Dear Heavenly Father, so many things are temporary in this world.  They come and they go, but the joy that we are given by You can never be taken away. Lord, please open our hearts and minds to what joy truly is. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

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Great Joy and Rejoicing

December 26, 2013 by

luke SeekingHimLogo

Each week during the season of Advent, our blogs will focus on a central theme which is associated with the coming of Christ—His Advent.  This final week’s theme is JOY.  Christians throughout the world celebrate Advent.  Some light candles or sing songs; some give gifts or  hang wreaths.  All of these are simple joyous ways of extending the celebration of Jesus’s coming beyond a mere 24 hours on December 25. Our prayer is that these devotionals throughout this season of Advent would help you to celebrate His first Coming and anticipate with the peace and joy of His second Coming.

“But the angel reassured them, ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said.
‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”
Luke 2:10

“Don’t be afraid”…”great joy!” God has sent His only Son as a gift of love, peace, joy, and hope to all mankind.  His Son, who would die for us so we could have everlasting life, is good news to all those that hear and believe (with faith) that Jesus was born, lived as a man on earth, and died, then rose from the dead. Good news is hard to find these days as news of odd and bad things now seem to fill the air waves and other news-reporting media. It is reassuring to know that Jesus is on our side.

Just knowing that Jesus was born was great joy for the people of Israel on the night He was born. They had long been waiting for their Savior to be born. His birth brought joy to the people. His life brought peace and hope to those who believed, skepticism from those who did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, His death and resurrection brought joy and hope in anticipation of eternal life.

It is hard to find joy in death even though we know that, if our loved one was a Christian, that they are in a better place. Yet it is easy to find and show joy in the fact that one day, if you believe in Jesus and the Resurrection, that you too will find the same peace and joy when you see Jesus.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice!
Philippians 4:4

Always have joy in the Lord. Rejoice every day. As we immerse ourselves in this busy and joyous season, I always remember the words of Kevin’s mother in the movie, Home Alone, “This is the season of perpetual hope! This is Christmas!” Just remembering those words bring joy to my heart. Those are two of my favorite quoted lines during the Christmas season. I rejoice just in knowing and feeling that knowing Jesus brings thoughts of love, peace, joy, and hope.

The shepherds found joy in the news that their Savior had been born. Prophecy had been fulfilled. They were so overcome with happiness and joy that many of them left their own flocks of sheep to meet the Baby who would grow into the man who would save us all. We should all have the same joy as we go through this holiday season and every day as we go into the New Year.

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Dear Heavenly Father, we find great joy in the gift that you sent over 2,000 years ago. This gift brings hope, love, peace, and joy to us all. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

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