Insurmountable Joy

Just think of the joy brought into the world at the advent of our Savior’s birth!

Joy – Who?

Mary surely rejoiced, as mothers do when they first hold their babies in their arms. But her rejoicing must have been at least doubled, knowing that the child she’d delivered was her Deliverer and the Deliverer for the whole world.

Had I been a shepherd I would have rejoiced. As some of the lowest-class members of society, the fact that Almighty God chose to announce Jesus’ birth to them first–and through a heavenly army of angels!

But let’s take a step back for just a moment.

Joy – Why?

We can easily tell who rejoiced, but let’s not forget the catalyst of their joy was the proclamation of the Word. Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1-3). He was the good news, the gospel in God-man form. So the announcement and advent of Jesus to the world was and is cause for great joy!

We live two thousand years plus on this side of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. We’ve lived our earthly lives under the covenant of extravagant grace. We of all people should have reason to rejoice!

But do we? And if we don’t, why not?

Joy – Why Not?

I think it boils down to two main things: busy lives and a broken connection.

When we get so busy that we fail to pray and spend time with the Lord–when we place everything else above our relationship with the Lord–we will lose our joy. (And let’s not forget that stealing our joy is one scheme of our adversary.)

Joy is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24). So if our JOY has gone MIA, it’s time for a spiritual heart-check.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not talking a pie-in-the-sky, Pollyanna sort of giddiness here. I’m referring to something much better!

Joy–unlike earthly happiness that so many of us pursue–isn’t rooted in circumstance. It’s rooted in the gospel, in the very person of Jesus Christ. It’s like God’s peace, in the sense that sometimes it’s beyond our understanding. Ever been in one of those situations where you could’ve been sobbing and wringing your hands, but instead something beyond explanation bubbled inside? That’s joy, my friend! The Word of God! The great good news!

Jesus On earth for You (and me). Reason for JOY! #JoyToTheWorld
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Joy – Extra Benefits

And joy has some side benefits as well. Feeling a little weak? You need joy according to this verse: “The joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

David, the shepherd who would be king and on the run from King Saul, could have easily given in to despair, but he didn’t. The Bible says he “…strengthened himself in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). In other words he experienced joy–even while hunted down and forced to dwell in dark caves!

And guess what else? Joy is contagious. I truly believe that if every follower of Christ stayed closer to God rather than wandering away from the Shepherd of our souls, the joy that flowed from us would be irresistible to unbelievers. How many lost sheep have ignored the call of God because of the lack of joy among His followers?

Joy – Commanded

No wonder joy isn’t portrayed as an option in the Bible. It’s commanded! 1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us to be joyful always. Why? Because it’s God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. We have no reason for anything else but joy!

Joy – Mutual

I could list verse after verse that refer to joy, but I will conclude with a passage less familiar than most. Though lesser known, it’s one that catches the excitement and joy of what Jesus accomplished by coming as Immanuel, “God with us.” What I especially love about these verses is the fact that our joy isn’t only on our side of the equation. Not only do we rejoice, but God rejoices over us! Keep that visual in your mind! You can’t NOT (yes, I know, double negative–but it proves my point twice as well) be joyful with the thought of God dancing and singing and shouting over you with joy.

Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion!

Shout in triumph, O Israel!

Rejoice and exult with all your heart,

O daughter of Jerusalem!

The Lord has taken away His judgments against you,

He has cleared away your enemies.

The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;

You will fear disaster no more.

In that day it will be said to Jerusalem:

“Do not be afraid, O Zion;

Do not let your hands fall limp.

“The Lord your God is in your midst,

A victorious warrior.

He will exult over you with joy,

He will be quiet in His love,

He will rejoice over you with shouts of ~Zephaniah 3:14-17 (NASB)

On this side of eternity, our joy–while full because God is within us–still anticipates our greatest joy ever. But on that day when we see face-to-face the Word of God, Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, the gospel proclaimed by His incarnation, we will rejoice as never before. And our rejoicing will be mutual as revealed in the passage above.

That’s gonna be some party… One I’m not gonna miss because of the joyful proclamation of the great good news of Jesus Christ and His work of grace in my life. Great joy!!!

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