The JOY of Jesus
“Joy is more than the fleeting happy that I’m constantly trying to recreate; it is the satisfying knowledge of the unchanging, life-altering story of Christmas.”
~Alexandra Kuykendall
Find a way to take a few moments each week to create space and prepare your heart personally and/or as a family. You could light a candle each week. You could gather around your Christmas tree, or around a Nativity set if you have one. Go outside and take in God’s beauty. May you be blessed this Advent season.
Scripture: Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,”
Devotional: Joy. “Joy to the world! The Lord is come.” These song lyrics have been sung the world over for centuries now. We have made room for Hope, Peace, and Love and we now reach the fourth week of Advent. Joy. Not to be confused with happiness-an emotion based on temporary circumstances. Joy settles deep. It comes from within. It can’t be contained. As we sing “Let every heart prepare Him room”, how appropriate as we are looking at Making Room for Christ this advent. What things do we need to move out in order for joy to have room?
Let’s take a moment and think of every character in the Nativity story. Let’s start with Zechariah and Elizabeth. Joy as they learned that God was going to bless them, in their old age, with a son. Then Mary, receiving the news from the angel that she was to be The Mother of Jesus. Joseph. Learning this surprising news, considering privately divorcing her and then the message he received from an angel. Watching the woman he loves grow this child in her womb. The Angels, coming to bring such joyful news to the unsuspecting shepherds. Shepherds, just doing their job on the side of a hill, in the dark of night. The wise men, kings themselves, but wanting to see for themselves this new King. Simeon and Anna, both faithful servants of God. Waited patiently and trusted that they would see the Savior before they passed from this life. What did joy look like to each of them as individuals? They each in their own way needed to make room for joy. To make room for the Messiah. They were going about their life and plans when God interrupted with a much bigger and better plan.
Joy. Indescribable joy. Joy-the knowing HE is here. Right now. And He is in the not yet, but still to come. We may hold sorrow or a perceived interruption and it is possible to also hold joy. In reading ‘Loving My Actual Christmas: An Experiment in Relishing the Season’ by Alexandra Kuykendall, I came across this paragraph that sums this up. “How does this joy/grief paradox work? Can they coexist? John 16, with Jesus now grown, uses an illustration I can relate to: “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.” (John 16:21) She goes on to say, “Jesus continues, “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again, and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”(John 16:22) This is not a promise of immediate relief, but of a big-picture resolution where things will get better, will be easier.”
We have Jesus, we have hope.
We have Jesus, we have peace.
We have Jesus, we have love.
We have Jesus, we have joy.
More verses about Joy:
Romans 15:13
Nehemiah 8:10
Isaiah 12:6
John 16:22
Romans 14:17
John 15:11
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Your Son to this earth. For me. Please help me make room in my heart for this Jesus joy. ~In Jesus Name, Amen
Song: The Joy of Jesus (feat. Matt Maher, Mac Powell and Ellie Holcomb)*
Joy To THe World (Joyful, Joyful) Phil Wickham **
Reflections: What does joy mean to you? Do you think it possible to hold the tension of joy and sorrow? Do you feel there has been an interruption in your life? How do you need to make room in your heart for joy?
Family Devotional Ideas:
1.)The YouVersion Bible app has Advent devotionals for children, teens and adults. Find one that fits you/child/teen/family.
2.)The Jesus Storybook Bible is my favorite for babies and young children. Take some time to read the story of Jesus’ birth. You could also help them spell the word joy by using shaving cream on a table, a dry erase board, magnetic letters on the fridge. Or look for the word when you are out running errands or maybe on a Christmas ornament. You could even look up how to sign Joy in ASL. Have them listen for the word Joy in Christmas songs.
3.)If you have an elementary-aged child and/or teen, simply ask a question or two as you eat a meal or drive in the car. Here are a couple of questions, use the appropriate ones for your child(ren) “What is joy?” “What is the difference between hoy and happiness?” Another idea is to simply text them a question to ponder and include one of the verses above.
4.)Memorize Scripture. You can memorize one of the verses from this week’s devo~or another that speaks to you. Encourage your entire family to work on it.
*I love to know the story behind the music. This is a beautiful story about The Joy of Jesus: https://gospelmusic.org/rich-mullins-honored-with-the-joy-of-jesus-from-mac-powell-matt-maher-ellie-holcomb/
**‘Joy to the World’ was written by a man called Isaac Watts, an English Christian minister and writer whose sacred words were inspired by Psalm 98 of the Bible. Watts published it in his collection of hymns and spiritual songs, The Psalms of David, way back in 1719. Today, the carol is so popular that – as of the late 20th century – it was the most-published Christmas hymn in North America.