Exceeding Great Joy

 Luke 2:10, Mat 2:10
The angel brought “good tidings of great joy” to the shepherds… The wise men, when they saw the star, “rejoiced with exceeding great joy”

The shepherd’s eyes were amazed as they heard the good news! The Messiah was born, the Savior who will change the world had condensed into the human race. Like  the wise men, they probably rejoiced with exceeding great joy. Their joy exceeded the merriment of being happy. Joy filled their hearts to overflowing. They saw the significance of this historical event. 

Greeting others with, “Merry Christmas” is to wish people a happy holiday season as they gather together with friends and family. Smiles are seen on parents and grandparent’s faces as they watch the children unwrap their gifts, excitement in the air as the child opens the present they have been wanting for days. No doubt, happiness fills the home. The songwriter penned it well:
 “It's the most wonderful time of the year. 
With the kids jingle belling. 
And everyone tells you to be of good cheer.”
But to the believer, Christmas is more than being merry with our loved ones, it is a time of great joy! A celebration and remembering the joy of salvation that Jesus came to save people from their sins. Exceeding great joy transcends human emotion. It is an eternal joy that is sealed in the heart that all is well with our soul. Jesus came to earth that we might have joy and have it more abundantly.  Circumstances in life may not always be filled with happy emotions and merriment, but it can be filled with great joy that we are a child of the king, and he knows us by name. As welook at the star that hangs in the church or in your home, may we also rejoice with exceeding great joy, knowing that Jesus came and died for us. In Him, we have real joy. Joy unspeakable and full of glory!

 Proverbs 3:15
She (the wisdom of God) is more precious than rubies (the riches of this world), and all the things you may desire (want in life) cannot compare with her. (God’s wisdom)

The wisdom of God is more precious than the riches of this world, and all the things you want in life cannot compare with God’s wisdom. We all seek a comfortable life, the material things of this world provide us a measure of satisfaction and joy. Most people in America desire to have a nice home, car, clothes, and things that entertain us. As precious as having family, it also falls short.  But life has shown and proven that the things of this world do not bring true joy and happiness. “Happy is the person who finds the wisdom of God.” He/She who finds God has found life everlasting. Jesus who came to this world to bridge the gap and provide a way for us to have a relationship with God is the wisdom that God provides to all who will embrace Him. “ Take this whole world, but give me Jesus.” He is the tree of life, take hold of Him, don’t let go. Happiness is found in knowing Him in His fullness.

God is Good All The Time

Ps 119 68, 71 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes….It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. 

God is good all the time, even during affliction. How can this be? If God is good, then we would always experience things in our lives that bring pleasure and happiness. How can God be good when every time I turn around something bad is happening to me or someone else. We look at life as a series of events. The events are either good, bad, or indifferent, they don’t make us happy or sad. But the sovereignty of God sees our life from the beginning to the end. To those who love Him and desire to fulfill His will, all the good and bad things in life work together to a good end. When going through hard times or difficult situations, it is not easy to say , it is good for me that  bad things are happening to me. For it is during these times, that I have learned to lean on Him. To trust in His word that He is in control.  God is good, all the time for He is the calm in the storm.