Joy
On this third Sunday of Advent, we focus our attention on The Shepherd’s Candle, The Candle of JOY, and we re-light The Candle of Hope and the Candle of Peace.
(LIGHT TWO PURPLE CANDLES AND THE PINK CANDLE)
According to Luke 2:10-11, on the night Jesus was born: “The Angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord!”
When we allow Jesus to be born again in our lives, He brings us the fullness of joy. In fact, it doesn’t take us long to realize that the only lasting joy to be found in this life on this earth is in knowing the Jesus Christ is alive in us.
In John 15:11, Jesus told His disciples: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my JOY might be in you and that your joy might be full.” And in John 16:33, Jesus said to them: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world!
When Jesus comes to earth again, He will bring JOY to the world. In Isaiah 35:10, the prophet said those who accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior will return with Him, and they shall enter into Jerusalem with songs and with everlasting joy upon their heads; “They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away!”
Martin Luther wrote: “Good news from heaven the angels bring, Glad tidings to the earth they sing: To us this day a child is given, to crown us with the joy of heaven.”
- Also read: Psalm 146:5-10; Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 2:8-14
- Suggested hymns: Joy to the World, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
True JOY has been defined as “delighting in fellowship with the Lord regardless of life’s circumstances.” That’s a tall order, but when our delight is in the Lord, His everlasting joy gives us the strength to sustain us through any situation of life.
On the other hand, HAPPINESS is temporary and based on the circumstances of our lives at every moment. Even when all is as well with us as we could desire, true happiness is like a mirage in that it is always just out of our reach.
While happiness may look like joy, it disappears when the events of life take their inevitable turn for the worse. However, as the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 5:22, true joy is the FRUIT of being filled to overflowing with the love of God.
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