Real Joy

In this third week of Advent, we celebrate the joy that Jesus brought to us through His atoning death, burial, and resurrection.  As we wait on Him to return, we can experience real joy in spite of our circumstances.  That is because real joy isn’t found in circumstances or places; it is found in a person.  That person is Jesus Christ.

Once you have had an encounter with Jesus, you want Him again and again.  Not just the experience, but to be in His presence.  This is why when you wander away from God, joy seems to be missing from your life.  Deep in your heart, there is a painful longing to be joyful.  No matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to find “joy”.  But maybe it is not “joy” that you desire but simply to be in the presence of God.  So I would say that “joy” is a longing for God.

Look at the life of Moses in the book of Exodus.  By the time we reach Exodus chapter 33, Moses had already encountered God at the Burning Bush; saw plagues cast down on the Egyptians; watched as God parted the Red Sea; spent time alone with God; and spent 40 days and 40 nights with God as He showed Moses how to build the tabernacle.  That is a lot of time with God!

Yet there was something missing for Moses.  He longed for more.  So Moses simply asked God, “show me your glory”.
 
Even though Moses spent a lot of time with God, saw miracles, and experienced His presence, Moses had reached a point in his life in which the presence of God had perhaps become too routine, and he wanted more – he deeply longed for more.  After God answered Moses’ request and Moses witnessed the glory and splendor of the LORD, his face shone so brightly that he had to wear a veil.  Moses was filled with the joy of the LORD!

You and I can reach a point in our lives where it seems like we pray and there is an emptiness or a lack of feeling God’s tangible presence.  It is in these moments that we must press in deeper, lean in harder and not give up because what we may be sensing is not a lack of God’s presence but yearning in our heart for more of God’s presence.  When we are in the presence of the LORD, there is JOY!

These are your Words for Wednesday.
 
Just a reminder that we will have a joint Christmas Eve service with Pleasant Grove Baptist Church next Tuesday evening at 5:00 in their sanctuary. Have a great rest of your Advent week!

In Christ,
Kevin