JOY - Just Open Yourself to God's Presence

Joy for the Advent Season

Luke 2: 8-18
“In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.”

    

No matter where you are and what situation you are in, God wants you to have joy. During this Advent Season as we celebrate the birth of the Christ child, we are reminded that God sends the Good News of God’s joy to whoever is willing to hear it.

     Ask yourself if you are willing to hear it or have your circumstances gotten you so down that you are not willing? Do you think that you are too ordinary to experience this great joy that God promises for all people? Your bank account, level of education or your street address does not determine whether or not you will experience God’s joy. Joy is internal and is rooted in your relationship with God. Your joy, then, is a celebration of the revelation that God can and will allow ordinary, everyday people to have the manifestation of God’s joy.

                In our passage, we see this joy unfold with the shepherds. As you read this passage, find the “U” in their experience. Here are four things we can glean about experiencing joy:

(1) Unique – The shepherds were unassuming and unaware that they were in the proximity of the King of Kings. As some of the lowest-class members of society, just a step about the lepers, the shepherds were in a unique category, yet God still chose them to experience joy. Yes, they were in a unique category.  And so are we. Our unique category might be that we are in a low-paying job, transition of moving, or unemployed. But guess what? There are other Christians who are in the same unique category as you are and are still able to experience joy.

(2) Ushered In – The shepherds were ushered into God’s presence and glory. The light shone around them. It was a blazing light of God’s presence and power. That is God’s joy! Are you willing to join the heavenly host in praising God and saying “glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favors?” Not only do we have to change our attitude, but we have to change our talk – what we are saying and how we are saying it, in order to experience joy.

(3) Unity – The shepherds were together when the angel appeared to them and shared the Good News. They responded together. God’s Good News is not singular. It is for the community of believers and it serves as hope for the non-believers, too. Remember that your Christian witness can impact others. You have to be willing to move from your current situation in order to get to the joy that God has for you. Change up your routine. Take a different route home or to work. Sometimes God is trying to get you to stop doing the same old thing and be open to a new way and new opportunities that are sometimes within walking distance.

(4) Unstoppable – Once the shepherds heard the news, they were unstoppable. They evangelized and told the Good News to everyone who was within earshot. They were spreading the joy!

As you reflect on this devotion, in what way is God calling you to spread the joy this season?

Prayer: God, during this season of Advent as I seek to encounter you in new ways, help me to be open to your presence and your power. May I truly experience the joy that you promised through the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Take my unique situation and allow it to help me to spread joy to others. In the name of  Jesus.  Amen.