Astonishing Joy

God has sent inexpressible and glorious JOY!

I love joyful laughter, don’t you? I so enjoy talking to my friend who can laugh about anything. We have the best joyful conversations! She always leaves me feeling lighter, no matter what difficulty I had called her to talk about.

Bob and I have three children and seven grandchildren. That makes ten “baby’s first Christmases”. What joy it is to watch the little ones see the tree with all the lights for the first time; to watch their wonder as they examine the shiny wrapping paper and the bow, not realizing that the item to be discovered inside is even more wonderful.

Perhaps the shepherds in that field so long ago, watching their flocks at night, had a similar

experience. An angel suddenly interrupted them with “Good News of Great Joy”, which the

angel proclaimed, would be for all people. News of a baby’s first Christmas. A baby had been born in the city of David. News of the birth of a baby is always good for a certain group of people, but this news was even more wonderful, this baby was even more wonderful, for all people!

God had sent the gift of Joy. Inexpressible and glorious Joy. (1 Peter 1:8) Joy so magnificent, so astonishing, it cannot be described with mere words.

Life, on the outside, can be a series of ups and downs, gladness or sadness, depending on our perspective. We are tempted to be happy or unhappy according to the current circumstances of our lives.

God’s gift of joy is so different. The joy embedded in our hearts and souls when we trust in His Son, Jesus Christ, is not affected by life happenings. It is steady. It is constant. It is contentment. It is purposeful. It is enough. I am still amazed that, even in the times of my life when I have experienced great pain or great loss, still I have experienced this joy. Not so much as a feeling, more like a knowing – that God is with me, that His Word is true, that He will help me through whatever trial I must face.

Psalm 16:11 is my most favorite scripture, “You will make known to me the way of life; In Your

presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” When something is full, you can’t add any more. There is nothing more needed. When we place ourselves in God’s presence we can experience that joy.

After the shepherds met the baby in the manger, they told everyone about what they had seen and heard. Then they went back to the fields, praising and glorifying God.

What joyful conversations they must have had the rest of the night!