“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “ Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” 

(Luke 2: 9-10)

Joy is defined as the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.  The birth of a baby brings so much happiness and great delight to everyone, it can only be described as one of the most joyful events that anyone can experience.  Jesus shared this with his disciples, “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that child is born into the world.”  (John 16: 21)  To be honest, I’ve had four births and to say that I’ve “forgotten” the anguish, is well, not exactly accurate.  However, the joy that I felt after the births of each child and having the opportunity to share the good news of our little bundle of “joy” to everyone was definitely a time of great happiness!                            

The birth of Jesus was the “good news” which created great joy for all people.  Our joy comes from knowing that Jesus is the Savior for everyone who puts their faith and trust in Him.  As we light the third Advent candle, we are reminded of the great joy that we experience as believers in Jesus Christ.  This third candle is also known as the “Shepher’s Candle”,  it represents the joy the shepherds experienced when they received the good news about the birth of Jesus.

Can you just imagine being a shepherd out in the fields just minding your own business, taking care of your flock when all of the sudden an angel appears and tells you that a Savior has been born in the town of Bethlehem?  Once they see baby Jesus, they return to their fields and share the good news, glorifying God.  I can just see the joy and excitement in their faces as they share their experience.  That is the same joy that we should carry with us everyday.  The Christmas joy is unlike any other joy that you may feel.  

Get an Amazing Feeling of Happiness

Even though this Christmas, you may be feeling a little less joyful, just remember that Jesus is your joy, he will give you that amazing feeling of happiness and great delight that can only be felt in the heart as you treasure the birth of Jesus.  

“Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

There will always be distractions in your life that will want to steal your joy.  Stress, worry, fear, anxiety are just a few of those distractions, you may know others that you are personally dealing with, perhaps grief may be one that is impacting you at the moment.  Even though we may be feeling a little less joyful this year, we can still be certain that God is in control.  “So with you; Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”  (John 16: 22)  Don’t let anyone or anything steal your JOY!  Jesus prayed that people would have the full measure of his joy within them.  (John 17: 13-18)   Our joy is complete in knowing Jesus!

“Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive her king…”

You can’t help but to be filled with joy when you sing this beautiful Christmas hymn.  It puts a smile on your face as you rejoice in this beautiful refrain, “joy to the world.”  My hope is that you will feel an incredible sense of the “joy of the Lord” this Christmas season.  

“Be joyful in hope,..”

Romans 12:12