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Are you familiar with Advent?

I wasn’t until I was married to my late husband. His family in their denomination were very in tune with the season of Advent. I also grew to love it over the years as we celebrated in song and Scripture around the Advent wreath on our family’s table. It was a beautiful time of focusing on hope, peace, joy, and love as they relate to the birth of Christ. In participating in the Advent readings of Scripture, we enjoyed reading Old Testament passages that were fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament. If you are interested in all the prophecies that were fulfilled by Him, you can read about them here. There are literally hundreds of Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus the Messiah.

The word I want to focus on is JOY.

The joy that is related to the coming Messiah, not the joy of stacks of presents or the joy of seeing the beautiful decorations. It isn’t even the joy of memories of Christmas past.

This JOY is the joy of the promised Savior.

The shepherds heard the angels say, “For behold, I bring you good news of great JOY that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:10-11 (ESV)

Great joy!

Do others see that joy in you and me? This joy is attached to the GOOD NEWS. What could be good news in this day and age? It is still the same good news that the angel brought to those lonely shepherds on that night in Bethlehem. Good news that Jesus has come to save the world from their sins! God cares about YOU! He offers peace, hope, love, and joy today.

The infant King came to set up His kingdom that would never end, and His cross would be the door that would welcome us in. -Paul David Tripp

Let’s share the JOY of this good news with those we come in contact with. Let’s pray for opportunities to share. And when someone asks about our JOY, let’s be ready to share the source!

Caring Father, thank You for the joy in Your good news. Give us opportunities to share the source of our JOY this week. This good news is for all people. Forgiveness and love are found only in You! Amen

For a great version of Joy to the World, click here