Christmas Advent Devotional | Day 7

Advent – Day 7

Joy in the midst of trials. How do we experience joy when there are so many things that are pressing against us? Hurt, sickness, divorce, unemployment, and a list unique to each person?  Perhaps the holiday season is even a reminder of negative experiences. Christ is calling us to give us his burden in exchange for His. He will give you joy in exchange for sorrow. As we reflect on Christ during this Advent season, open your heart to him. We are continuing our journey in the second chapter of Matthew, where we left off yesterday.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:7-12

⁷ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” ⁹ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. ¹¹ And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. 

 Devotional Thoughts

Two things stand out in this section of the journey of the wise men. First, when they arrived at their place of meeting with King Herod, the star which was guiding them to the Child had disappeared. The Lord divinely hid the path of access from the King, his priests, scribes and household. The Lord is able to hide you from the enemy trying to harm you. Believe it, and pray over yourself and your loved ones that the Lord will hide you in His secret place. The second is the recorded reaction of the wise men when the star reappeared and led them to Jesus. They were described as being filled with exceeding joy. How do we also experience this joy, when all may not be well around us?

The definition of joy differentiates it from happiness, in that joy is driven from an internal awareness, and has a longer lasting impact whereas happiness is driven by external factors and can be quite fleeting. During holiday seasons, there are many external factors that can drive happiness including gifts, stimulating sounds and sights from festive music and decorations. What about the person who is grieving? The one who has just been laid off? The one going through a bitter divorce, and about to lose everything? The one who has just received bad news? The timing of these can expunge the feeling of happiness during holidays. The wise men had traveled quite a distance and were probably exhausted. They had just had a rigorous interrogation by the King, intimidated by the Scribes and Priests, and had even temporarily lost sight of the star guiding them. Yet as soon as they arrived at their destination, all of that negativity was converted into exceeding joy.

You, also, can experience this joy in the midst of all that may not be going well. It is a joy that Christ gives when you open your heart to let him in. He asks us to give him our burdens in exchange for His, which is relatively light. He takes away our heaviness, our sorrow, our frustration, and gives us an inner joy in spite of the winds of trials blowing around us.

Christ – Our Joy

In the book of Luke, there was a group of shepherds watching over their sheep, and at the exact  time that Christ was born they had a heavenly visitation. The glory of God shown around them like a great light, and then an angel emerged, speaking to them, saying: “…I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city if David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The sign for the wise men was a star. The sign for the shepherds was an angelic visitation. Yet connected to both groups was the release of a great joy connected to the birth of Christ. He is our Savior, and has power to take the things that weigh as down, and grant us a deep, inner joy, that trumps our circumstances.

Reflection

• Are you in a place where you feel discouraged, hopeless, struggling with relationships, finances, bade news and other issues? Christ is asking you to take a step of faith to lay all of these at His feet in exchange for his peace and joy.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I acknowledge you as my source of true joy. I lay all my burdens, hurts, and issues at your feet. Grant me peace on the inside and deliver me from depression and hopelessness. Fill me with your joy, and use me to be a conduit of joy to others. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.

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Previous Devotionals

Christmas Advent Devotional Day 1

Christmas Advent Devotional Day 2

Christmas Advent Devotional Day 3

Christmas Advent Devotional Day 4

Christmas Advent Devotional Day 5

Christmas Advent Devotional Day 6

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God bless you.

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