•  

  JOY

  Dec 16, 2025

  ~Video Version~

  ------------------------------------

  What makes you smile? Researchers found that saying the word cheese causes people to smile.   I like dad jokes or funny headlines like this one….. “Federal Agents Raid Gun Shop, Find Weapons.”  Or,  “City unsure why the sewer smells.” You have to think about that one.  Do you know of any sewers that don’t smell? 

  I do know that there are lots of stinky things happening in our world right now, heartbreaking things, but we don’t want to lose our sense of humor. 

  Have you had a good laugh lately?  Laughter in happy moments is good, and good for you.

  But I’m thinking about JOY this week, which is more than just happy laughter.  Where joy is revealed more than happy moments is when it comes from the inside out, not from the outside in. Not from something external that makes me laugh, but something deep inside that keeps my heart in tune with God,  even when things are not at all funny.

  Like David wrote about it in Psalm 4:6-7…

  Many people say, "Who will show us better times?" 

  (the thought of better times might generate a happy moment, but here is something deeper and richer….)

  “Let your face smile on us, Lord.

  You have given me greater joy

  than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.”

   

  The thought of God’s face smiling upon us, does that not spark a response of joy?  How can I not smile when God is smiling. 

   

  I pray that you will experience more joy in these days of Christmas, a deep joy in your heart that overflows from the inside out, from knowing Jesus, Christ in you, the hope of glory.  I pray that you will have not just a  merry Christmas, but a blessed Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Comments

• (no comments)