Joy to the World

Scripture: Galatians 5:22-26

Joy in the Palm of Your Hand

Have you ever grabbed a handful of sand and tried to hang on to as much of it as possible, only to watch it slip through your fingers? 

Joy, for me, is kind of like that. 

It’s an elusive emotion. I know I should have it in abundance. I know God has it for me in levels I can’t even imagine. And I know that as a Christian, I should be able to exhibit it with all my heart no matter what my life circumstances are. It is a “fruit of the Spirit,” after all, so, therefore, I should have a well full of it from which I can daily fill my bucket. 

And yet, many times in my life, I have experienced exactly the opposite. 

I’ve had times of darkness. Times of feeling empty. Moments of uncertainty. Seasons of pain. And yes, seasons of victory. 

And like the sand in my grasp, joy can be present in all those experiences, yet it drains away at the same time. 

As Christian men, joy is an emotion we need to wrestle with. Sure, we are great at cheering at the football game, taking pride in the work we do with our hands, and making our lives look good on the outside. 

But does that mean we actually have joy? 

Traditionally, in the third week of Advent, we celebrate the “joy” of Christ’s arrival. Over the next week, we will examine the emotion of joy in several different biblical contexts. 

My prayer is that you will find joy in life’s victories, but also in darkness, in times of emptiness, and in any uncertainty or pain. 

Prayer: Jesus, You are the giver of joy. Help me this week to see where You have given me joy even when I can’t see it. Amen. 

Reflection: Make a list of moments where you were filled with joy. Take time to thank Jesus for them. Make a list of some of the moments in your life where joy seemed to be present but draining at the same time. Then, as you journey this week, take time to ask Jesus where His joy was in those times. He may just surprise you with the answer!

Scriptures: Luke 2:10, Luke 2:1-20

Joy in the Darkness

Christmas is just around the corner, so of course, I had to write about this part of the Nativity story! 

Have you ever wondered why God sent His messenger to a group of men in the dark? 

Picture yourself there. It’s night. The sheep are bleating calmly. The watchmen keep an eye on the surroundings while the rest of the men stay warm by the fire. 

Suddenly, POW! The sky lights up, and you see a vision that speaks and delivers an announcement filled with promises of good news and great joy. 

Did you catch it? The first promise God gives to the men in the dark is the promise of “good news that will cause great joy…” 

It’s interesting how God chose to send His angel. 

First – to men. He could have used anyone (see Luke 24:9 when He chose women to carry news of the resurrection). 

Second – in the dark. Some may think it was to get the shepherds’ attention. But I don’t think so (see Acts 9:1-6, where His light outshone the sun). 

I think the men and the dark were chosen so God’s bright Promise could stand out against the darkness of the culture the people were in (see John 1:5). 

Remember, Israel was under Roman rule. Bethlehem was full of people due to the census—a census that was a reminder to the Jews where their taxes went, that their freedom was not their own and even their very lives could be upended, all to make Rome happy. 

And the men could do nothing about it. 

In other words, it was a dark time for them. 

Yet God had a promise for them. A promise of “great joy for all the people.” 

But that joy was not a word—it was The Word (John 1:14). 

And what did the men do with that promised joy? 

They went to find Him. Then, they spread the news to everyone they saw (Luke 2:15-18). 

Christmas can be a dark time for many people. But maybe it’s just the right time for God’s Promise of great joy to show up in your life. 

Go find Him. Then, share Him with someone. They might just need to hear all about Him. 

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, that You are with me in the dark of life. Thank You that Your promise of great joy is still true today. Help me to find Your joy and share it with others. Amen. 

Reflection: Who is one person you know who could use some joy in their life today? Find them and share some with them!

Scriptures: Ruth 1:21, Ruth 1, Ruth 2, Ruth 3, Ruth 4

Joy in the Empty

Okay, men—car question for you: 

If you see the gas light on your dashboard warning you that the tank is almost empty, what do you do? 

Two options: Stop and refuel, or find a siphon hose. 

As a man, I wish that my heart had a warning light. 

Recently, Naomi’s story in the book of Ruth connected with me in a new way. 

In her story, Naomi’s tank started out full of joy, but through tragedy, it drained. And it was with an empty tank that she returned to her homeland and labeled herself as “bitter” (Ruth 1:20). 

I’ve been there. Maybe you have, too. 

But it’s a good thing her story continues. 

In the next chapter, she learns that not only has God provided food for her and Ruth, but also a redeemer. How does she respond? 

“The Lord bless him!…He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead” (Ruth 2:20). 

Even though her tank was empty, she could see God’s hand working through Boaz’s life and character. 

Sometimes, my tank is empty. In fact, as I write this devotional, I’m there, as this past year has left my tank feeling drained. I’m sure there were warning lights all around me. But I tend to think I’ve got more in the tank and keep going a little longer. 

It’s here where I need to see what God is doing in the lives around me. Maybe it’s in my wife or our kids. Maybe it’s in a friend or a sibling. 

In other words, I need to siphon fuel from others until I can fill my own tank again. 

But the coolest part is what God sees. 

Naomi had no idea that one day, she would experience the joy of becoming a grandmother and hold in her arms a direct ancestor to the Messiah—the ultimate Redeemer—whom we joyfully celebrate at Christmastime. 

Men, no matter where you are at or how empty your tank is, your story is not over. Siphon off the faith and joy of others and wait to see what God has for you. 

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, that when my joy is empty, You have given joy to others. Help me see them and connect with them so that their joy in You can help me find my own joy in You. Amen. 

Reflection: Do something this week to surround yourself with others who are full of Jesus’ joy!

Scriptures: Psalms 94:19, Habakkuk 3:1-19

Joy in Uncertainty

As men, we have a built-in drive to provide for our families. 

But what should we do when we feel that our efforts are impacted by situations that create anxiety in us? 

Habakkuk was a prophet who knew anxiety. He talked about times when the trees did not produce fruit, when the fields did not produce grain, and when the stalls were empty (Habakkuk 3:17). 

I’m no farmer, but that sounds stressful to me. 

But Habakkuk doesn’t just stand there staring at uncertainty. 

His faith continues as his fears are mixed with other emotions—trust, patience, and joy. 

And how are those opposites connected? 

Through one simple word: “yet.” 

“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:18). 

I’ve been through job changes in my life. Some have been my choice, while others came as surprises. As Habakkuk would say, I had no herd in my stall. 

And yet, I’m still here. 

And more than that, my family is still here. The Lord has provided for us in many ways. 

Sometimes, we would have to wait patiently. That was hard. 

Sometimes, we were blessed by how He provided. That was surprising. 

As men, we tend to stay focused on the uncertainty we are in, and questions consume our thoughts. 

How will I provide?

What does the future hold?

What if nothing happens?

But what if we had a “yet” in our doubts? 

How will I provide? Yet God is my provider.

What does the future hold? Yet it’s God who holds the future.

What if nothing happens? Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. (Habakkuk 3:18)

And that’s where Habakkuk’s writing ends. 

Did his struggles stop? Probably not. 

But did he have a new outlook on his situation? Without a doubt. 

The coming of Jesus at Christmas was God’s “yet” to the world. Humanity had sinned, death had entered Creation, and man was lost on his own—yet the Savior was born. 

As Christian men, we are called to have a “yet” in our questions, put our trust in the Lord, receive His joy, and follow Him as He provides in uncertain times. 

Anything other than that is us staring at empty stalls. And that helps no one. 

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for providing in my uncertain times. Help me to trust and follow You patiently. Amen. 

Reflection: What is a situation in your life where you need to see a “yet” in it? Pray into that need, but make sure you add a “yet” to the end of the prayer!

Scriptures: Hebrews 12:2, Luke 23:26-43

Joy in the Pain

I once spoke at a funeral where everyone was grieving except for one three-year-old child who was filled with joy and dancing at the front as the service was happening. 

You could hear everyone hold their breath as I came to the podium to deliver the sermon (read “sermon” as what the others thought was the “most serious and important time of the funeral service”). 

As I stood there watching this contrasting scene of tears and twirls, I simply said, “If ever there was a time for noise…”—I let this hang as people held their breath—“…it’s now!” (and the exhales released). 

I continued by saying that, yes, we were there to grieve death—but we were also there to celebrate life. 

In Luke 23, Jesus is on His way to the Cross, and everyone is grieving. The disciples. The women. Simon from Cyrene. The two criminals. 

It’s a scene full of tears. 

But there was a twirl waiting in those tears. 

As the three men hung there, one chastised Jesus while the other put his faith in Him. 

And how did Jesus respond to that one? He made a promise, saying, “…today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). 

The writer of Hebrews says that despite all the emotions that day, Jesus held on to one—joy. 

How could He do that? 

The answer: He did it by seeing past His circumstances. 

You see, Jesus was walking to the Cross, but He was looking ahead to paradise and everyone He would take with Him there. 

That’s where His joy came from. Not from His present but from His promise. 

And that’s why Hebrews tells us to fix our eyes on Him. 

We can’t see past our present, but Jesus can. If we keep our eyes on Him, who sees where He is taking us, His promise will bring us to His paradise. 

That’s the joy that Jesus had at the Cross, the journey that began in the manger of Bethlehem that we honor every December. 

And that’s the joy He wants us to have as we give Him our tears and He gives us His twirls. 

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for seeing beyond our present and into Your promise. Help me to give You my tears and wait with expectation for the twirls You have promised me. Amen. 

Reflection: What is an area of grief in your life that you need to surrender to Jesus? Pray through that or share it with someone who can help you pray through it.

Scriptures: Matthew 16:18, Esther 8:1-17

Joy in Victory

Okay, men, let’s be honest: the world today looks bleak. 

From crime to inflation to wars to political upheaval worldwide, there is a lot of bad news out there. 

But the truth is that since Genesis 3, there has always been a lot of bad news. 

For example, put yourself in the shoes of the Israelites, God’s people, in the book of Esther. You are under Persian rule, you have no military strength, and there is a political plot to literally destroy your people. 

Talk about feeling helpless. No joy. Just defeat. 

But while you are stressing about this, God has one man, Mordecai, who is holding his ground for his people on the battlefield of politics. 

Even in the face of violence, Mordecai does not cave on his faith or character. 

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus makes an incredible statement: “[He] will build [His] Church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” 

Did you catch the two promises? 

One: He will build His Church. The Church–God’s people. 

Two: His enemy will not prevail. 

Jesus could not only see the plan but also the opposition and the guaranteed victory over it for the next several thousand years. 

And what happens in Mordecai’s story? The enemy’s plot is exposed, and the people of Israel are saved. 

But more than that, the people moved from helplessness to joy as they created a new annual celebration (Purim) to remember how God had delivered them from their enemies. 

Men, since its beginning, the Church has always had enemies (the gates of Hades) coming against it. But it is now that He calls us to be men like Mordecai and stand our ground on the battlefield He has us in. 

Then, we can move from feelings of helplessness to joy as we experience His victory for His people. 

A victory that began to be fulfilled two thousand years ago when the Christ child came to earth to save His Creation. 

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, that the victory is Yours. Help me to stand my ground where You have me today so that I and others can know the joy You have for us. Amen. 

Reflection: What battlefield does Jesus have you on today? What is one thing He is calling you to do to stand firm in Him?

Scriptures: Psalms 51:12, Luke 15:11-32

Joy in the Father’s Heart

Boating question: When is the right time to adjust your rudder? 

Boating answer: As soon as you realize you are off course. 

One of the hardest times for me to find joy is when I know I’ve sinned. I can easily sit in a pool of defeat and feelings of worthlessness and wonder how God could ever love me or forgive me. 

But thankfully, that is not how God works. 

In Luke 15, Jesus is teaching through some parables. This time, He uses stories of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. 

It’s the last one that always catches my attention. 

Like a spotlight in a play, the story focuses on the son as he leaves the safety of his father’s estate and ventures into a world he thinks he can handle, going in whatever direction his desires pull him, only to lose everything he has. 

It reminds me of David in 2 Samuel 11, where he commits adultery and murder. 

Talk about a mess. 

But it’s here where David cries out to his Father and says, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation…” (Psalm 51:12). 

Like a lost son coming home, David falls into the open and loving arms of his heavenly Father, knowing He is the safest place for him to be. 

Yes, David did not escape all the consequences of his sin. But one thing was clear – his Father loved him and forgave him. 

You see, the Parable of the Lost Son is less about the son’s choices and much more about the father’s heart. The point isn’t how far off the son was but how wide his father’s arms were when the son adjusted his rudder and went home, only to be surprised as his father hugged him in his loving arms. 

Both of these biblical stories show that the Father’s heart always wants to create restoration and joy, no matter how far we are coming from. 

But it’s up to us to adjust our rudder and return to Him. Let’s just not wait till we are in the pig pen before we make that decision. 

This week of Advent, we’ve been reflecting on God’s joy from many different angles, all summed up in the baby born in Bethlehem all those generations ago. May the joy that God promises be ours as we continue through the Christmas season. 

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, that Your love for me is bigger than my mess. Help me to adjust my rudder early so that I know Your love much sooner than the consequences of the pig pen. Amen. 

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you can adjust your rudder today and start heading back towards the loving arms of your Father? Don’t wait for the pig pen before you do!