JOY & Its Address
If the Lord’s JOY were a house, would it have our home address?
What if the JOY of Christmas never came to earth?
If biblical JOY were a simple emotion, would God have used so much of the Bible to address it?
Jesus was comforting His disciples when He spoke these words. May we heed them today.
“If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.
(John 15: 10-11 NASB)
These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
Joy & Happiness—they are so different.
We can experience happy thoughts, happy times, and happy events, but then the thoughts fly away from our minds after the moment they are there, & we can enjoy a happy time today, but then the night comes, we sleep, and the next day begins, & finally we can attend an event that makes us SO happy, but then the clock moves forward, the event ends, oftentimes taking our reason for happiness with it.
Happiness comes for a season.
We experience so many happy times, and truth be known, we really hope that today will be a happy-filled day.
Tomorrow, we will pray for the same.
Biblical JOY is so much more than a simple emotion.
Biblical JOY can only be found in a person.
Biblical JOY flows from our relationship with the LORD JESUS!
Biblical JOY transcends our circumstances, our life-situations, and our daily moods.
Biblical JOY causes us to REJOICE in JESUS, in HIM—no matter what!
- Jesus leads us by His example.
“just as I have kept My Father’s commandments [God’s commandments] and remain in His love [in God’s love].”
- Jesus tells us upfront what we will receive whenever we react in obedience to God.
“If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love;”
- Jesus helps us deeply recognize that which we desire most: HIS LOVE!
- Jesus spoke to His disciples, comforting them for what they were about to face because He knew God’s plan for the crucifixion and resurrection and ascension of His Son Jesus.
“I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you,”
- Jesus—the Advent—the Complete Beautiful JOY!
“your joy may be made full.”
Truly, JOY has an address, one we can pause, look backwards, and clearly see. JOY is found not through GPS or through a paper map but through a person—the Messiah, the Savior, the Redeemer JESUS!
“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, [God creates this transformation within us & fills us with Himself]
(Colossians 1: 13-14 NASB)
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
We just stepped into January and the new year, leaving Christmas behind as we hung up a new, annual calendar. However, just because we write a new number reflecting a new year, we who believe in Jesus will not leave Advent behind because the coming of the Messiah goes with us, even into the new year. Real Christmas is not found in the presents under the tree or mailed across the sea to those we call ‘family.’ The REAL message of Christmas—Jesus’ presence—Emmanuel—God With Us!
What if Christmas never came?
- We would not have the baby Jesus in the manger!
- We would not have the Christ child who the wise sages came to see!
- We would not have the Messiah who came to provide the way!
- We would not have the cross of Calvary!
- We would not have the empty grave that we know held the KING of kings!
We would not have the biblical JOY ever alive & living inside us!
God sent an angel to Mary.
God sent an angel to Joseph.
God sent an angel to the shepherds.
God sent an angel to the tomb.
God sent an angel to His bond-servant John.
God sent The Revelation to the Apostle John so we might come to know God’s Only Son Jesus!
God sent us Jesus so that we might become ready!
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,
(The Revelation 1: 1-3 NASB)
who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw.
Blessed is the one who reads, and those
who hear the words of the prophecy and
keep the things which are written in it;
for the time is near.”
Some wonderful, Good News: God is with us!
This Good News of the Gospel message is too good to keep to ourselves!
At least twenty-seven people’s names rest upon my prayer list, names of those who do not have a relationship with God’s Son. As I walk through today, I will encounter even more. You will too. So, let us remember WHO goes with us through this day. The “I am” does! EMMANUEL!
It is a promise, a deep, abiding JOY we carry within us as we go.
- Fully God!
- Fully human flesh—the Son of God!
- Fully Holy Spirit!
As we serve, as we walk, as we serve, as we celebrate, & as we encounter others, may we SHARE JESUS!
As we work, as we talk, as we react, as we love others, & as we are HIS hands and feet, may we help them see the JOY WHO RESIDES WITHIN US!
The melody “Changed” by Jordan Feliz proclaims this biblical truth so well. May we listen as we step out into our new day. JESUS CHRIST is just way TOO GOOD not to share with those we know!
JOY has an address—JOY IS JESUS CHRIST ALIVE & AT WORK INSIDE YOU & ME!