By Rosie McGough

Week 3 Advent – JOY

Matthew 2:9-10 (NASB) 

After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great JOY. 

1 Peter 1:8-9 (TPT) 

You love him passionately although you have not seen him, but through believing in him you are saturated in ecstatic JOY, indescribably sublime and immersed in glory. For you are reaping the harvest of your faith-the full salvation promised you- your soul’s victory!

Psalm 33:1-5 (NIV) 

Sing JOYFULLY to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the 10 stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song, play skillfully and shout for JOY. For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Proverbs 17:22 (TPT) 

A JOYFUL, cheerful heart brings healing to both body and soul. But the one whose heart is crushed struggles with sickness and depression.

Revelation 22:16-17, 20-21 (NIV)

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright, Morning Star.” The Spirit and the bride say “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life…He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” 

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

Come thou long expected Jesus
Born to set thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation
Hope of all the earth thou art
Dear desire of ev’ry nation
JOY of every longing heart”
--Charles Wesley

JOY to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her king!
Let every heart prepare him room
And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and heaven and nature sing!”
--Isaac Watts, George F. Handel

True Joy

By Rosie McGough

Advent is the time of year where believers slow down, celebrate and reflect on the meaning of Christ’s birth. But it is also a time to look forward, with great anticipation, to the Lord’s second coming. We continue this advent by reflecting on joy! 

Christmastime is a joyous time for me. I have distinct memories of sitting with my Grandma at the piano singing Christmas songs. I’m listening to her voice harmonize with mine and watching her fingers prance across the keys. I felt content, loved and seen. Even today, one of the quickest ways to bring me into the joy of the Christmas spirit are the songs.

Now, as a mother, I love creating my own special moments which point my children to the joys of Christmas. As they grow, each year I witness them catch more. The songs and stories take on deeper meaning. This year they have found great joy in giving as they take their own wallets to stores and pick a gift out for others. This is the easy joy.  

And yet, Christmastime has been where some of my most traumatic life events have happened. The death of a sister, the near death of a son, addiction vs.sobriety: those are the big ones. And some years, it’s not as blatant as that. Because diminishing joy can come in the subtleness of hectic schedules or duties too. I encourage you to cultivate a ‘habit of pauses’ this season. Evaluate and recalibrate! Be honest about what you are feeling and share it with God. 

I go back to the music; songs of worship reminding me of who God is and what he has done in my life. I am cultivating muscle memory for my brain to draw on when it needs help! It’s been worship that has pulled me out of darkness time and again. It’s been worshipping him that has helped me put one foot in front of the other on those hard-to-find-joy days.  Through worship, gratitude inevitably follows. When you have gratitude, you want to give some away. And in giving, comes joy.

So wherever you find yourself this season, easy joy or hard-to-find joy, I pray that you would surrender it to him. You’ll find Christ there with you in the midst of it. And I pray that his joy would fill up the gaps of your heart. 

For Reflection:

Are there any areas in your life where you need Christ’s comfort and joy? Speak them aloud in prayer and lay them at the feet of Jesus. Then ask Holy Spirit if there are any practical steps to joy you should do. (Funny movie? Outdoor walks? Outing with a friend? Trying a new recipe?) Then do it!

What are some songs that help bring you out of your darkness? Curate a playlist for yourself and play that sucker over and over again! (Repetition renews minds).

Finally, in giving comes joy. Who can you target to pass some joy onto this Christmas/ New Year’s season? Treat someone to something unexpected…

Pray:

Thank you, God, for your goodness! Help me cherish and celebrate the ultimate gift of you coming to redeem the world! Thank you for your plan of salvation. Thank you that you sought me out and I said ‘yes’ to life with you! I ask for true joy this season as I go about my days. I want to be an influencer and not the influenced. Help me to carry your gift of joy to others around me. 

Amen.