As Christians, we want our lives to reflect the Good News and great joy the Bible promises but sometimes I wonder if we are actually experiencing it. Many of us have grown weary—physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. We are weary from the demands, the worries, the expectations, and the fears that exist in our world today. We feel impatient and dissatisfied with our present reality and we long for relief.
Friend, on many days, I feel the heaviness of life in this world too. Thankfully, I also feel the hope. Because in the midst of all the weariness is a thrill of hope and His name is Jesus.
Two thousand years ago, on a starry night in Bethlehem, love came down to this weary world as a baby in a manger. He changed the lives of all who encountered Him, and when we became believers, He came into our hearts and changed our lives as well.
Though the weight of the world may try to pull us down, we can experience joy when we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. No matter what happens, Immanuel is always with us because He dwells within us.
I pray we kindle this passion for our faith as we celebrate His birth and His presence in our lives and wait expectantly for His glory to come down for a second and final time. With this hope, we can rejoice no matter how weary we may feel.
Are you experiencing the great joy the Bible promises? Or is your life characterized by bad news and gloom?
Have you lost the enthusiasm of the Gospel and the magnitude of what Christ has done and still promises to do?
Sister, Christ is near. He is with you now, offering comfort and joy, and at His second coming, we will fully realize His ultimate joy forever. Isn’t that the best news of all? I don’t know about you, but that is something I believe is worth celebrating.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for promising to give us rest when we are weary and burdened. Forgive us for forgetting the joy of the Good News you offered us at our salvation and failing to exude it in our daily lives so others can discover the same Good News of great joy. Give us holy endurance to persevere in faith in our world while we anxiously await the next. Until your kingdom comes, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Flood our hearts like never before with your unspeakable joy this Advent season and beyond. Help us to reach for the weary and fill the hopelessness with your hope. We praise you for coming to save us as Immanuel and we praise you in advance for coming again as our forever King. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.
I wrote this devotion for the advent series Good News Great Joy by Chelsey DeMatteis. Read more of her devotions at Chelsey DeMatteis – Christian Podcast, Christian Writer
