LEARNING DAILY

Psalm 96:11-12. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing.

Psalm 98:4-5, Shout joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and sound of singing.

“Joy to the world, the Lord has come!” “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near (Philippians 4:4-5). Nehemiah 8:10 tells us “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Joy is not happiness. Happiness is based on feeling that changes from day to day, from circumstance to circumstance. Joy is a constant that comes from an inner peace that comes from contentment and satisfaction; it is new each morning because of God’s faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23). Being joyful and expressing joy is to be a constant expression from Believers; it comes from knowing they are sons/daughters of God and their hope is in Him.

I begin with this because I am not going to be robbed of the joy I have in God sending His Son to save and change all who place their faith and trust in Him. I was quite disappointed in the very first Christmas program of this season. Okay, I believe in the old Christmas carols that express a message of the joy, hope and promise of a child born of a virgin in a stable in Bethlehem. I believe in the Christmas story of angels telling shepherds of the Savior’s birth and those shepherds going to see the Christ Child. I believe in wisemen from the east following a star to worship and present gifts to the Savior born. I believe in Jesus as the Word of God who became flesh and lived among men on this earth.

Jesus is the reason for Christmas! It is not “happy holidays”; it is “Merry Christmas”! It is not about presents; it is about the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives! It is about Immanuel – God with us who came to save us because not one of us can save ourselves by being a good person! For every Believer, Christmas should not be just a time of joy; it should be a time of great joy! The angel said to the shepherds in their fields, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people” (Luke 2:10). When the kings from the East “saw the star stop over the place where the child was, they were overjoyed” (Matthew 2:10).  Even the angels came from the heavenlies to rejoice and praise God for giving His Son to mankind.

 The joy of Christmas comes to each of us in the form of a baby, the baby Jesus. For Believers that joy is present not only in the season of Christmas, but throughout the entire year. That joy in our lives comes as Believers choose to surrender to Jesus each day and follow Him growing, maturing, into His image, while walking a narrow way into His kingdom! “Joy is prayer. Joy is strength. Joy is love. Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls” (Mother Teresea). Joy is knowing, accepting, and living the gift of eternal life given to us freely by Jesus Christ. The joy by which we live is to freely give back to Him; live so “others may see the light of Jesus in you shine before men that they may see your good dees and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

I refuse to allow the foolishness of what the world professes about Christmas to take the joy I have found in Jesus Christ and the celebration of His birth.