Great Joy

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." Luke 2:10

This morning we lit the third candle of Advent, the Joy candle. It is also called the Shepherd candle as it is lit to remind us of the angels who sang a message of joy to the shepherds concerning the birth of our Savior. How powerful a sight it must have been to see the heavens open up and a choir of angels appearing in the night sky singing and shouting in overwhelming joy. No doubt the sound must have been glorious to everyone who heard it.

I love the word joy. One of my most favorite Nativity scenes is the Holy Family bathed in a soft light surrounded by the word JOY. I often sit in the darkness of our family room pondering the impact of the joy that God brought to the world when He chose to become man and live among us. There is no greater gift He could have given us and He considered it a great joy to give His life for us. Hebrews 12:2

 Romans 15:13 gives us a beautiful promise. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." In this chaotic time of year we are often left with feelings of hopelessness and despair. But Christ has come to bring us joy, to give us peace and to be our hope. Do not put value in the things of the world that will steal your joy. Turn instead to Christ who is the very author of joy.

Dearest Father God, we thank you so much for another Sunday to share in Your Word. We thank you for pastors who work so hard on your behalf. Thank you for this season of giving. Let us give Your Joy, Your Love, Your Peace, and Your Hope to everyone around us. Show us those in need of more joy. Bring us closer to those who need more hope. We pray that our lives will be lived to bring Your Light into a world of darkness. In the Name of Christ we pray, Amen

©Michelle Welch, 2013 team member of Breath Of Life Women's Ministries
photography by Michelle Welch, all rights reserved
scripture from KJV Bible