As one of the weeks of Advent is Joy, the Christmas season becomes a time to find God’s joy within his fulfilled promises. God has already kept his greatest promise, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, coming to earth for our salvation and to deliver the whole world. Some scholars say Jesus’ life met the criteria for around 300 Old Testament prophecies. Even if we get conservative and say 200, each one of those proves a way to rediscover joy during the Christmas season.
Through meditating and reflecting on Advent, we can also consider the ways God has fulfilled his promises in the past in our own lives. While we may wait on God to work in many areas, the Lord has shown up for us in the past and done many miraculous things. Just sitting for ten minutes and writing down all the ways God’s shown himself faithful to us in the past will lead to thankfulness and great joy, even in the midst of what may be a few sorrowful situations today. For me, I’ve seen God heal people, provide money in our bank account miraculously, and more.
We can further find joy in what God will do. Christmas reminds us that God’s Word never fails. What he says, he accomplishes. And since God is eternal and outside of time, his finished work already exists. God is already enjoying us in the future, beyond the struggles of today. We can find joy in the glorious inheritance promised to us as sons and daughters of God.
In one way, God’s joy doesn’t depend upon an event or a fulfilled promise. God’s joy exists within himself, the “joy of the Lord,” and with the Spirit within us, we can enter this joy at any moment and find great strength. Simply knowing God and experiencing his presence should bring us great joy. We’ve been reconciled to be one with a loving, caring, omnipotent God.
All of these truths lead us to find joy in our faith. When we slow down during Advent, we see joy woven into several moments of the Nativity. Luke’s gospel has angels and people praising God all through the narrative. Let’s take a cue from Advent and the Christmas story, from heavenly angels bursting with worship. Choose to praise him for who he is, what he’s done, what he’s doing, and what he will do. We can rest and act on his finished work with joy.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Simon Lehmann
