Joy for All

Does joy like the ocean waves come and go for you during this time of year? I imagine what the shepherds might have felt before and after their heavenly interruption by the angel. Were they alert, sleepy, or grumpy watching and protecting their sheep? (“Another night, another predator to ward away from our wayward sheep…I’m so tired of this thankless job!”) Or were they making music and talking to God like David might have done when he was a shepherd boy? For sure, they weren’t expecting God to show up like he did that night.

When God breaks in with news of “great joy for all people” via those heavenly angels, we know the shepherds hurried to see baby Jesus for themselves. Christmas rushed in and they weren’t in a hurry to go back to their regular lives. They spread the news on their way back to those Bethlehem hills and everyone was amazed! (Luke 2:8-18)

If melancholy predictably returns to you in the new year, consider what the shepherds did after seeing the Christ child. “The Shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” (Luke 2:20)

Let the waves of joy keep coming! The Psalmist said, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with JOY in your presence.” The way to experience a joy that doesn’t recede at midnight on New Year’s Eve is to prioritize a growing, intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Only being in his presence can we experience a joy that satisfies us long after those Christmas cookies have been eaten and the company has gone home.

Looking ahead, how can you linger in God’s presence even on the day you put away all your Christmas decorations? How does God want you to experience his joy year round?

I’d love to hear your comments!