Saturday, December 18, 2021

Advent Devotions: Joy (12/18/2021)

 


Saturday December 18                         Joy                                     Luke 1:39-45

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

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Remember those single frame cartoons that began with the phrase “love is” and the picture would change each day – from a warm puppy, a friend’s embrace and the like.  Joy, like love is difficult to describe.

Joy is something more than being happy.  Never fully defined, but you know it when you experience it.  It is like the leaping of the child in Elizabeth’s womb. 

           Unexpected and spontaneous. 

Joy is….

 a baby’s face as their parent comes into view.

 A dog enthusiastically greeting you as if you had been gone for days.

Reuniting with a loved one

God’s beautiful creation that takes you by surprise

 

What have been your experiences of joy?

Joy is a gift from God – a serendipity (an unexpected surprise).  Joy cannot be manufactured but comes in those moments when we least expect it.

A colleague shares on social media when & how he experienced joy that day.  It has been it his own intentional practice and invites others to share their own joys (thank you, Pastor Justin Johnson).  It’s more than just what was good during the day, but rather what made your heart skip a bit, caught your breath, brought a smile to your face.

Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit that Paul lifts up in Galatians (5:22-23).  Joy is God’s breaking into our everyday lives and reminding us of the beauty of life, of the love that surrounds us and the vital connection we have to God through Jesus Christ.

And so, along with Pastor Justin, I invite you to watch for the joy that God is offering you this day – expect the unexpected and in that, joy will abound.

 

Prayer: Rejoice in the Lord, again, I say rejoice. Dear Lord, in those moments when we are busy, uncertain or overwhelmed by the day, we pray for that gift of joy to touch our lives and open our hearts.  Just as a child’s infectious laugh brings a smile to our face, may your joy well up inside of us and flow forth into a world that is blinded to your presence.  May the joy of the love of Jesus Christ fill our lives and our world this day and forever.  Amen.

 

Pastor Jen Boyd


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