Third week in Advent

Third week in Advent
hope - peace - JOY - love -light
prophets - Bethlehem -ANGELS -shepherds -Christ
discipleship -fellowship -MINISTRY -worship -evangelism

“Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the JOY of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” Psalm 51:11-12

I want you to think of joy as a place. That’s right, you can be cynical and scoff or joke and call it your “happy place” like this is some kind of psychobabble, but try it. Think of joy as a place, but not just any place, think of it as your base-camp.

Say you want to take a day trip, hike a mountain, scale a rock face. Great, but when the day is done, you have to get back. Return to base camp. So you want to try some fly fishing or white-water rafting- awesome. You’re bound to get some cuts and bruises along the way, head back to base camp an get bandaged up. Go hunting, snowmobiling, para-sailing, you name it, but at the end of the day, if you’re gonna sleep soundly, you want to be somewhere safe, secure, dry, comfortable- return to base camp.

That’s what we all need every day no matter where we are, a home base. Well guess what, God is it. Our rock and our salvation. Spending time with Him is a delight- being with someone who loves you, that’s joy.

So Okay, the next time you have a stressfull day, remember, Jesus loves you, return to joy. Someone yells at you, lies about you, spreads rumors about you, return to joy. You try something new, it’s a little scary, but it worked out alright, in fact you’re kinda proud- return to joy.

Remember, joy is not temporary like happy. Joy may not always be exciting or euphoric like happy, but joy is more important, deeper, more stable, more meaningful then happy.

The next time life is rocky, whether it’s downs or ups, share it with God, you’ll be returning to joy.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

Every day, remind me that you are my safe place.
If Home is where you are loved,
I am always at home no matter where I roam,
because You promised that You will never leave me or forsake me,
and that You are with me even unto the end of the age.
Thank you Jesus.

I love You, Jesus, Amen.