...got joy?

With hurt feelings and a wounded spirit, I took myself to the Christmas concert at my church.  The beauty of the music and the pleasant atmosphere had a positive effect on my mood but it was not until the 3rd verse of the last song that I finally found some relief in my heart. Joy to the World’s 3rd verse says “No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground.”

• No more can I allow my besetting sins to thrive.
• No more can I nurse my resentments and plead my case with self-justification.
• No more can I let weeds and thorns infest the spiritual ground of my life.

Why?  Because the God of Love sent His Son to pay the price for the world’s sins; those whose sins have hurt me as well as for my personal sin that keeps me wounded and guarded.

• The “wonders of His love” allow me to forgive and change and find hope.
• The “glories of His righteousness” cause me to strive harder toward his holy standards.
• The fact that there is “joy to the earth [because my ] Savior reigns” means I don’t need to hold on to those things that cause me grief but instead rest in the promise that God’s got it all under control.

Let the joy God has for you this Christmas come shining through in your life.  He took care of providing the joy, now you just need to let it become true in your day to day reality.