Advent Archives | Page 2 of 10

December 16, 2016

Joy: Habakkuk 3:18-19

“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.”
Habakkuk 3:18-19

To rejoice means to feel or show great joy or delight in something or someone. Isn’t that just the perfect way to describe how we should feel about God? After all, great joy and great delight are a natural byproduct of being close to Him, which is precisely where He wants us to be so that He can be our strength and our hope.

But what about when we’re afraid?

Or when things aren’t going all that well and it seems like everything around us is working against us? Or what about when things just feel totally out of control? It can be a lot harder to rejoice in those places. But those are exactly the times when we must lay down our worries and our fears, and choose to trust Him anyway.

In our abandoned trust, there is real joy waiting to be found.

There is a fantastic book called Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard, which is an allegory about the yearning of God’s children to be led to new heights. In it, the reader follows the main character Much-Afraid on her spiritual journey as she faces dangers and reaches new, high places. One quote from the book that stood out to me was this:

“The look the Shepherd turned on her was very beautiful. “Nothing my Father and I have made is ever wasted,” he said quietly, “and the little wild flowers have a wonderful lesson to teach. They offer themselves so sweetly and confidently and willingly, even if it seems that there is no one to appreciate them. Just as though they sang a joyous little song to themselves, that it is so happy to love…”

Rejoicing always, especially when it’s hard or when things don’t make sense; that is what it looks like to live out of faith. No situation, circumstance, or season is ever wasted when God is at the helm.

In Habakkuk 3:19, it says that He “makes my feet like the deer’s; He makes me tread on my high places.” I just love that in many versions of the Bible the high places described are unique to each person. They are not the high places, but my high places. And my high places are probably a little — or maybe even a lot — different than yours. Isn’t that beautiful?

To think that our God created each of us for a different journey with unique heights to reach kind of blows my mind, and truly brings some serious joy to my heart.

I can have joy because I know that He made each of us for and wants to lead us to our high places.

Here is the thing: true, perfect, and everlasting joy came on a night when no one could have expected it: the night that Jesus was born.

As fully man and fully God, He came into a world that was desperate for what Him, even though they may not have known it at the time. He came to bring hope, joy, and life abundant for those who would choose to follow Him. So as you and I remember that special day when our sweet Savior was born, may we slow down to adore and delight in His presence, and may we remember that the greatest gift we would ever receive came that quiet night in Bethlehem.

December 15, 2016

Joy: Philippians 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

I was preparing to go and speak to someone about feeling miserable all the time. I was thinking something along the lines of “I don’t want to be told to choose to be grateful.” I’d seen several Instagram posts about the need to choose gratitude and, even though I knew it was true, it seemed like an annoying answer. I didn’t want to have choose gratitude.

I just wanted things to be fixed.

In a similar vein, I caught this post from Jordan Lee of SoulScripts the other day:

“I’m aware of the fact that lots of you wrestle with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, shame, and more. And I know that “choosing joy” is a cute thing to put on a coffee mug or on Pinterest but not all that simple to put into action in real life. When I walked through heartbreaks, grieved loss, hated my body and starved it in an effort to control SOMETHING in my life, I never once felt like I could simply choose joy. So I’m not going to challenge you to choose joy. I’m going to challenge you to choose Jesus. That doesn’t mean you’re going to become a perfect person in three easy steps. That doesn’t mean you’ll never feel icky or stuck or sad or frustrated. But it does mean your joy isn’t something you have to manufacture but something you are given. So if that’s the only choice we can really control, I think we oughtta make it in the middle of our mess.”

After talking through everything, this person set me the task of practicing gratitude and, coming from her, it felt like real advice (not just a cookie cutter answer).

Here’s the rub: it does change things.

It’s not about putting on a big smile and pretending everything’s fine. It can be about picking out the little slivers of light that you can in the moment and then saying thank-you.

Those little reminders of God’s goodness, and the way gratitude re-focuses on Him, bring breaths of joy.

Because while it is not easy to choose joy, it is possible to choose moments of rejoicing – whether those moments come out as a whimper or as a shout of joy! And it is possible to turn your eyes to Jesus.

Wherever you’re at, consider this your kick in the butt from a fellow struggler to do what you can in choosing gratitude.

Take a moment today to choose Jesus.

Choose to acknowledge the ways in which he is already blessing us. Cry out to him and surrender the parts of your life which feel joyless. Air your heart, take the dust-sheets off things you’ve been forgetting to enjoy, re-examine what you have and appreciate it once more, celebrating our good and generous God.

December 14, 2016

Joy: Galatians 5:22-25

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:22-25

When Jesus was born, I am sure that there was no way for His earthly parents — Mary and Joseph — to know that His life was going to be such a big deal, that His way of living and loving would revolutionize the culture at that time, or that all of it would ultimately lead Him to the cross.

No, I am sure that when Jesus was born on that cold night in a dirty manger, they likely imagined that He would lead a fairly normal life. Oh, but how wrong that would have been. Jesus’ life on earth may have started out looking pretty normal for their day and age, but as He got older things began to change, notably once He recognized that His true Father was God.

That’s when things got crazy.

He gathered disciples to follow Him, He was a teacher to the masses and to to the one, and many were loved, healed, and saved as a result. His ministry lasted for only three years, but of course, that’s not the end of the story.

When Jesus was with His disciples after the resurrection, He told them not to let their hearts be troubled because the Father was going to send them another to be with them: the Holy Spirit.

In other words (my own), it is as if Jesus told them to take heart and count it as joy that they would have an advocate on earth once He was gone, one who would give them power, who would correct and guide them, and be the one through whom they could speak with the Father. I imagine the disciples being confused at first, but then what an immense amount of JOY they might have experienced when the Holy Spirit finally came upon them (Acts 2), just as Jesus had promised.

The Holy Spirit can seem daunting sometimes.

I personally think that He is the most misunderstood part of the Trinity, probably and simply because He is just so mysterious. Even in reading our Bibles, there isn’t a ton we can cling to other than that God sent Him after Jesus’ resurrection, that He is our advocate, and that He imparts on each of us unique gifts to use for the glory of God.

Over the last two years, I have been experiencing a lot more Holy Spirit living, and it has been nothing short of incredible. As I began praying for deeper intimacy and more sensitivity to His leading, God really showed up with His Spirit. I received a serious craving for the Word, a greater understanding of my true identity as a daughter of the King, and a brand new sense of wonder, awe, and overwhelming joy. I share this with you to say that there is so much more beyond the surface of the Christian life.

Tapping into the power and presence of the Holy Spirit opens the floodgates for a deeper, more soul-satisfying relationship with God, which is something I believe that He deeply wants to give you.

So with the season of Advent upon us, I pray that you are able to reflect on the birth and life of Jesus, and then remember what He left for us: Holy Spirit. And since we have Him with us here on earth, was can also have His fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

All because of God’s original plan: create absolutely everything, lead His people no matter how much they grumble, allow His Son to live on earth and consequently sacrifice His life for our sake, and send the Holy Spirit to guide us into deeper relationship and power.

What a sweet, sweet reason we have to rejoice in this advent season!

December 13, 2016

Joy: Isaiah 65:18

But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.

Isaiah 65:18

If you’re anything like me, you might struggle with the idea that you’re allowed to enjoy things. We sometimes have this idea that Christians should have it all together and that anything too fun isn’t holy enough or a distraction.

It can be easy to think that we should be living a limited life which is low on delight.

I’m want to throw a few of the things that I’ve been learning out there to challenge that.

Our God is a generous and abundant God. When He fed the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21), there were basketfuls left over. When He changed water into wine (John 2:1-11), the wine was the best wine at the wedding. God is a master craftsman who doesn’t hold back; just look at creation! He created a variety of different flavours and colors. He created things that don’t just work but work well and are beautiful.
“Those who follow Jesus do not have to live sad, austere and sour lives. In fact the opposite is true. Christ-followers experience the highest form of pleasure, laugh with depth and enjoy all of the goodness life has to offer… They trust in a good and beautiful God who has come not to rob them of joy but to bring them real and lasting joy, the kind found when moderation and boundaries are applied.” This quote is from James Bryan Smith, author of the Apprentice series (highly recommended). He talks about the fact that what we might see as rules put in place to spoil our enjoyment of life are actually a roadmap to living life at its best and fullest. God doesn’t give us guidelines because he likes to spoil peoples’ fun; they are guidelines to living a more deeply enjoyable and fulfilling life.
A friend of mind once quoted Foster the People’s song ‘Waste’ in a sermon. The lyrics (unintentionally) represent God’s heart toward us.
“And every day that you want to waste, you can
And every day that you want to wake up, you can…
I’ll help you see it through ’cause I just really want to be with you.”
The awesome thing is that God wants to waste time with us. We don’t have to be doing anything productive. We don’t have to be doing anything impressive. He just enjoys spending time with us because He loves us. And he wants us to just enjoy spending time with him.

Living a life of joy isn’t just important because God loves us and wants us to have joy, it’s important in the way we represent Him to other people.

How can we give others a taste of God and all he has to offer if we are living joyless lives?

That’s not to say that we need to paste on a smile and pretend everything is fine when it’s not (vulnerability is great!). And it’s not to say that we should expect everything to go right in our lives. It is to say that we have freedom to enjoy what life has to offer (with moderation and boundaries applied).

Immanuel, one of the names of Jesus, means God-with-us.

I think God-with-us is the crazy, wonderful reality of God loving us so much that He became human in Jesus and it’s also God-with-us in the small stuff. It’s God-who-wants-to-waste-time-with-us, God-who-wants-to-enjoy-life-with-us and it’s Jesus coming for us.

Let’s praise him and ask him for joy.

Let’s accept his invitation and have fun with him.

December 12, 2016

Joy: Luke 7:18-28, 1 Peter 1:6-9

“The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’ At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.” After John’s disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!” – Luke 7:18-28

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.” – 1 Peter 1:6-9

We all seek a certain level of happiness. We all strive to be happy. We all snap the perfect Instagram to show the world, or at least our followers, that we are so happy.

Happiness, as it is presented in our broken world, tends to be fleeting. Joy however is eternal.

Joy comes from the depths of our being. It is a beautiful gift from God our Father to us. John 15:11 says, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Joy is someone or something that provides a source of happiness. Joy comes from Jesus. God wants us to have fullness of joy. Joy is our source to true happiness, without joy we will always be striving for happiness. With true joy our happiness will come from the source, Jesus.

In Luke 7, we read the messengers that John the Baptist sent out to ask Jesus if He was the one they had been waiting for or if they should search for another. They set out on a simple mission, to ask one question of Jesus. If you had a simple mission, what would you ask Jesus? Once they had asked their question, Jesus told them to “go and tell John what you have seen…”. The messengers set out again.

We are called to be messengers of God and His joy.

We are to take what Jesus has placed in us and share it with those around us. “Go and tell” about His goodness, His grace, His peace, His love, and His joy. There are times though when joy is hard to shared. 1 Peter 1:6 tells us to rejoice.

Rejoice even in the trials both small and big, in times of hardship, in times of celebration. The word rejoice is a verb, it’s an action word. The Word is telling us to express our joy, to be ecstatic with joy. There are times when we don’t want to rejoice, it’s in these moments that our faith is tested. Tested in the most purest way because our faith is precious to God—more precious than any gold. When this testing happens, James tells us to, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4) Again we see that God wants us to be complete, lacking nothing or in other words full—“that your joy may be full”.

It is through the revelation of Christ Jesus that He is made known to us.

It’s through this revelation that we can love Him even though we have never seen Him and though we have never seen Him we can “rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”

In our pursuit of Jesus we encounter many things, but ultimately we encounter a friend and our source of true joy. The source that will never run dry. The source that will always be there for us. The source that will strengthen us. The source that will never changes and only gets sweeter with time. The everlasting source that will place His joy inside your heart and that will make that joy full!