December 16 - John 15:11

Hi, Northland family. A friend of mine once commented. It's a lot harder to hold on to joy, than grief and bitterness. How profound. In the middle of a month, supposedly overflowing, with joyous celebration, family gatherings and gift givings. Joy is often a gift we find ourselves groping for in the dark of December. Paul rallies the believers in Philippi and us. Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again, rejoice. As the recipients of mercy, grace, and love for all eternity in Jesus. We can mentally assent. Yes, believers should be the most joy filled people on the planet, even in December. But the loss of loved ones, haunts our hearts as the holidays draw near. Financial pressure for gifts, squeeze our bank accounts and our stress load. Disappointment, unmet expectations, and pure exhaustion from the blur of busy seem to deplete our joy faster than we can refuel it. We know the truth. Jesus came to give life in abundance, but holding on to truth feels as slippery as icicles. Thankfully, Jesus never spoke meaningless, pithy sayings for us to somehow attain while ignoring real life realities. Consider his words to his disciples, on the last night before he went to the cross, on John 1510. I have spoken these things to you, so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. Jesus isn't just sending us a cliche statement to be joyful as good Christians. He's unpacking how to have and hold that joy. That's a truth worth knowing and holding on to, all year long. I hope you'll spend some time in John 13 to 17. and join me in exploring today's joy passage for our Northland family advent devotions.