Season Of Joy

"Christian joy is a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as He causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the Word and in the world."
                                                              John Piper




Throughout the Bible, God calls His children to possess emotions that they are incapable of producing on their own. We are instructed to never fear or be anxious while the apostle, Paul, exhorts us to "Always be joyful" (1 Thessalonians 5:16, NLT). Because our flesh carries with it frailties and weaknesses and the propensity to sin if left to itself, these commands are not possible for us alone. Never and Always would be elusive at best.

The real question for us comes after we have been fearful or without joy. Will we then stuff our emotions or lean into the Holy Spirit to provide us what we never really could have provided for ourselves? Will we recognize that joy is both a gift from God and a response to the gift He has given?

The older I get the more acutely aware I am of how everything good in our lives comes from God. The beautiful sunrise, the air we breathe, the family we love, and the smile on a child's face are but a few of the blessings we can receive every single day. Too often, our frustrations come at the perceived things in our lives that don't go right rather than appreciating the plethora of things that do.

Yesterday I sat in a surgical waiting room for several hours watching the patients and families come and go. I saw very difficult diagnoses and challenges and watched time and again the physicians who had to explain the implications to the loved ones who waited. There were gasps and tears and instantaneous grief. There were also smiles of relief when the surgeries were completed. All of this really highlighted for me two things: how many true blessings I do have and how quickly life can turn on a dime. I wondered how people make it through crises without Jesus? Without real peace? Without real comfort? Without the assurance of salvation when this life is over?

I also really understood that joy is not contingent upon my circumstances. When Jesus is with you, you can find joy anywhere. It can be found in a hospital room, a classroom, a court room, a board room, or any other place on this planet. It is never conditional upon our circumstances; it is only conditional upon our relationship with the Lord.

Jesus said, "I have loved you just as the Father has loved Me; remain in My love [and do not doubt My love for you]. If you keep My commandments and obey My teaching, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you and that your joy may be made full and complete and overflowing" (John 15:9-11).

If I were to be completely transparent here, I would have to say that the first two places the enemy comes hard at me when I am my most vulnerable is by trying to convince me that God is not with me and that God does not love me. At times, this has not even been a hard sell for him. Too easily I have received the very lies that keeps joy at bay.

There have been other times when I really just needed to change my perspective on things. (Husbands can be good at pointing out this truth!). Whenever I tend to dwell on the dramatic or give way to the illusion that I am helpless in my circumstances, there usually comes a quick jolt back to what the truth really is:)

God has given us the fruit of His Spirit to assist us in all situations. He generously doles out: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Our supply is never withheld or lacking in quantity. What He gives to us we can then generously give to others I our lives.

Life is sacred and it is precious and there is so much good that God brings to us on a daily basis. When we have the maturity to recognize the beauty in the Word and the beauty in the world, there is no limit to how we can bless other people. We literally can become the gift of joy for them that God has given to us. It is our life in Christ and it is our testimony.


There is a huge difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is temporary and contingent upon outward circumstances. Joy is permanent and cannot be destroyed by outside forces because it actually comes from the Holy Spirit inside of us. Joy understands that God is with us (Immanuel) and that He loves us like crazy no matter what. Joy trusts. Joy rests. Joy is our strength.

And yet, joy can be the easiest thing to lose at times. There can seem to be a killjoy around every corner. Even the prophet, Jeremiah, said, "There is no joy left in our hearts" (Lamentations 5:15).

So, if joy is something that you have lost, the first thing you need to do is to recognize it and admit it. If there was ever a time that you were more joyful in the Lord, recognize and admit it. Ask God for His help and His provision. David did when he prayed, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation" (Psalm 51:12).

Know Him and grow in Him because He is beautiful and captivating. His presence is refreshing, satisfying, and exciting. Allow Him to become large enough in your heart to eclipse all that troubles you. Spend time in His Word and look for His loveliness in the world.

During this hectic Christmas season (and all other seasons), it really is possible to continually possess true joy. In fact, Jesus died to make that possible for us. Receive His gift today and take a deep breath and enjoy this Season of Joy!


"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you at abound in hope."
                                                            Romans 15:13

Season of Wonder...

"Wonder knows that while you cannot look at the light, you cannot look at anything else without it. It is not exhausted by childhood, but finds its key there. It is a journey like a walk through the woods over the usual obstacles and around the common distractions while the voice of direction leads, saying, 'This is the way, walk ye in it.'"
                                                          Ravi Zacharias




When the shepherds found Mary and Joseph and Jesus lying in a manger they went and told everyone they saw. Over and over, they shared the Good News of what they had witnessed. Excitement flooded their hearts as they recounted every detail of the Newborn Child. And then, Luke tells us that "all who heard it were astonished and wondered at what the shepherds told them" (Luke 2:18).

Wonder overflowed in every person that witnessed any aspect of Jesus' birth. Merriam Webs9ter defines wonder as "a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable; desire or curiosity to know something; to feel admiration and amazement; marvel; rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one's experience".

Our lives and world are filled with wonder. Truly, they are all around, and yet, I wonder how many of them miss our notice. G.K. Chesterton says, "The world will never starve for want of wonders, but for want of wonder."

Often, familiarity can rob us of the beauty and majesty that surrounds us. For example, if Springtime only occurred every fifty years, how much more intently would we pay attention to it? E.B. White, the author of Charlotte's Web said, "We must always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder."

Yet, there is a wonder that extends beyond the beauty and majesty of all that God has created. There is a holy wonder of who God is. Thomas Aquinas said that "wonder is the desire for knowledge." It is the amazement we feel when we really have an intimate relationship with Jesus.

Over time, it's easy for our flesh to lose our sense of anticipation and wonder. Think about a time in your life when things were new: a new school, a new job, a new marriage, etc. At first you are thrilled and your mind races with possibilities of the future. After awhile, when the homework piles up or the deadline looms or your spouse snores really loudly... You get the picture.

As believers, we can do the same thing. When we first accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are excited and jubilant. We tell everyone who will stand still long enough to listen. Yet, over time, where does that astonishment, attention, and curiosity go?

I believe intentionality is required. A few weeks ago, my family and I had the joy of visiting our son in Arizona for Thanksgiving and seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. It was the first of the seven natural wonders of the world we have been able to see. We planned which day to go, clothes to wear (because it was very cold), times to leave, etc. As a result of our intentionality, we all stood amazed at the beauty of it instead of being distracted by lesser important things.

The psalmist, David, said, "I will cry out to the God of heaven who does such wonders for me" (Psalm 57:2). David said this as he was fleeing from Saul and hiding out in a cave. He was intentional about discovering the wonders of God and not allowing anything or anyone to stand in is way. This is holy wonder.

Holy wonder will lead us to grateful worship and heartfelt thanksgiving. We will watch and we will be astonished. Our astonishment will extend beyond the created to the Creator. We will once again marvel at the manger and at the cross and we will see our Savior. Not a replica of who He is but the authentic version of a majestic God. We will join the angels at worshipping at the throne and we will wonder at the marvelous works of our Lord.

Edward Young, an English poet, said, "Wonder is involuntary praise". Our spirit rises within us to worship God as "The Wonderful One". Appreciation for redemption and grace percolates because we now can truly see the miracles that they are.

We will remember His wonders because "He has made His wonders to be remembered" (Psalm 111:4). There is power in remembrance that generates love and adoration. We not only remember the things God has done for us, but also the mercies we have received and the blessings He so generously gave that overflowed with His goodness.

Remembering means so much more than just recounting our past. It also means that we remember that God is present with us now (Immanuel) and is moving in our lives today. We live with the expectation of both seeing God and seeing Him move on our behalf.

Passions can be refueled and enthusiasm can brim within. Awe and wonder become the norm as we daily search for Him in everything. Again, David explained his daily awe by exclaiming, "I will extol You, my God and King, and bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You and praise Your name forever and ever" (Psalm 145:1-2).

We remind ourselves that He is the God of Wonder. He is Wonderful. He floods our world with Himself; He floods our world with wonders.

The most awestruck people in the world should be believers in Christ. The Orthodox Jew prays three times a day "We thank Thee for Thy miracles which are daily with us, for Thy continued marvels" and they do not even know Jesus. Every night they declare that God "does great things past finding out, marvelous things without number" (Job 9:10). If they can praise God with wonder daily, how much more should those who actually know Jesus?

We are now in a season that remembers the birth of Christ. May we also remember His resurrection and all the other wonders He has done? May we believe that He is doing wonders now. May we regenerate our sense of excitement, like the children do, and know that this is the Season of Wonder!

"The Lord replied, 'Look among the nations! See! Be astonished! Wonder! For I am doing something in your days--You would not believe it if you were told."  (Habakkuk 1:5)

Season of Newness...

The child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him."                                                                                                           
                                            Luke 2:40




There is nothing that inspires more hope for the future and for possibilities than to peer into the face of a newborn baby. They are pure and beautiful and they radiate much of what is good in the world. They usher in a season of newness into a family or church or any other group to which they belong.

When God chose to send Jesus as a newborn baby there was so much that He was revealing to us. In addition to the fulfillment of prophecies, He was saying, "Behold, I am making everything new!" (Revelation 21:5). The old order has gone and the new order has come.

Everything surrounding Jesus' birth was a miracle. Again and again, God shows us that nothing is impossible with Him. He has the ability to breakthrough everything natural and burst forth into all that is supernatural.

He is limited by nothing or no one. His power trumps every law of nature and even what we can conceive in our minds. He is "able to [carry out His purpose(s) and] do super-abundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams]" (Ephesians 3:20). He can literally blow our minds!

As Jesus grew into a child, we are told that He grew stronger and wiser and He walked in grace. This is the word that I believe God has for us today. As we enter into this new season we should continue to grow in strength and in wisdom and grace.

The Bible tells us that as believers we "go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power]" (Psalm 84:7). As our dependence upon and devotion to God grows, we find that our strength comes from Him alone. We receive what we need and then we give it out to others. In this, we grow stronger day by day.

He is our Light and our Salvation (Psalm 27:1) and He becomes our strength in times of trouble (Psalm 37:39). As we continually abide in Him regardless of our circumstances, He makes our soul like iron (Psalm 105:18, Jubilee). David said, "On the day I called You answered me; and You made me bold and confident with [renewed] strength in my life" (Psalm 138:3).

As we grow stronger, we also grow in wisdom. Biblically, there are things we can do to become wiser. Reading the Word of God is one of them. David tells us that God's Word "is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105).

Another thing we can do is to seek wisdom. The book of Proverbs tells us that "if you will receive My words and treasure My commandments within you, so that your ear is attentive to [skillful and godly] wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding [seeking it conscientiously and striving for it eagerly]; yes, if you will cry out for insight, and lift up your voice for understanding; if you seek skillful and godly wisdom as you would silver and search for her as you would hidden treasures; then you will understand the [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshipping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] and discover the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:1-6).

We can also ask for wisdom. When God asked Solomon what he desired, it was wisdom that he sought and God honored and blessed that decision. James tells us that, "if any of you lacks wisdom, [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God's willingness to help]" (James 1:5-6).

Insight will help us to genuinely learn from our trials and will allow them to train us (Hebrews 12:11). Each trial has a divine purpose and each one carries with it a reward. They develop our character and ultimately yield a crown of life (James 1:12). In the midst of every trial God will "provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Lastly, we can continue to grow in grace. Peter tells us to "grow [spiritually mature] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). This means we become more and more like Jesus. This happens as a result of what God does inside of us. We grow in our understanding of what Jesus has done for us and in our appreciation of the grace we have been given.

He sanctifies and transforms us to become more like Himself. The Holy Spirit convicts and gives us the power to transform into the image of the Son. Ultimately, our lives will prove what God has done within us when "We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Like Jesus, we can become stronger, increase in wisdom, and grow in the grace of God. As we enter into this new season that God has for us, this should be our goal. This is what will bring God glory in this season of newness!


"Behold, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."
                                                          Isaiah 43:19

Season of Hope

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
                                                                                                                                         1 Peter 1:3




Christmas is a time that evokes a myriad of emotions in all of us. For some, it brings up images of family dinners and Candlelight services and it is joyful to its very core. For others, loneliness and sadness bubble to the surface at the thought of loved ones who have passed or family units that are separated or are no more. The joy of the season is no respecter of persons whether one has the ability to embrace it or whether one somehow believes that it has eluded them.

While at times our circumstances may appear less than ideal, there is a broader message of hope that God has given to each one of us. Deep down we know that it's there and the only contingency of us experiencing it is whether or not we let Jesus into those painful places in our hearts that are hurt or are broken. It is His resurrection power that has the ability to defeat every opponent of the Cross: loneliness, fear, disappointment, anxiety, discouragement, unresolved pain, unmet expectations, and anything else that would rob us of the hope that God brings to us.

Interestingly, the very first candle that is lit during the Advent season is the candle of hope. This is to remind us during the Christmas season of the hope God gave when He promised to send us a Messiah, a Savior, and a Deliverer. This promise was fulfilled when Jesus was born, and the rest of God's promises to us will be completed when He returns.

Jesus is the only hope of this world. Even seven hundred years before His birth, Isaiah prophesied of Him, "For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this" (Isaiah 9:6-7).

God is zealous to meet our needs during this sacred season. If we need counsel, He will provide. If we need strength, He will provide. If we need peace, He will provide. If we need companionship, He will provide. If we need restoration, He will provide. If we need wisdom and direction, He will provide. There is no need that we can have that God is not able to meet in abundance.

It is His resurrection power that fills our lack. It is His resurrection power that makes the impossible possible. It is His resurrection power that gives us both power and grace (Acts 4:33). Everything we need is found in Him. He is our hope.

Here are some of the promises of hope that God gives to us:

"You will be secure because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor"  (Job 11:18-19).

"The Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love" (Psalm 147:13)

"Therefore, since we have been justified [acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God] by faith, [let us grasp the fact that] we have peace with God [and the joy of reconciliation with Him] through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed). Through Him we also have access by faith into this [remarkable state of] grace in which we [firmly and safely and securely] stand. Let us rejoice in our hope and the confident assurance of [experiencing and enjoying] the glory of [our great] God [the manifestation of His excellence and power]. Such hope [in God's promises] never disappoints us because God's love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:1-2;5).


This year, in particular, I believe that God is speaking hope into our souls. Many of God's children have experienced difficulties and trials in this last season and some are battle weary. Not one thing that has happened to any of us will be wasted nor turned around for the good. There has been a greater purpose and plan for all that God has allowed into our lives.

Because of this past season, we are stronger and more patient and have learned to endure. In humility we have matured spiritually and developed our character in Christ. Now, we must stand in confidence and in hope with expectancy to see what God will do next.

Do not believe the lies of the enemy that tell you that things will never get better. Do not succumb to discouragement from what you see with your natural eyes. Stay focused on Jesus and invite Him in to every crevice of your heart.

Then, go share that hope with others. Here are the lyrics to Don Moen's song, entitled, Season of Hope:

                                 The prophet told us long ago
                                 A child will come to bring us hope
                                 A star lit up the night to show the way
                                For all the wise men seeking truth.

                                The child came as living proof
                                The Light of all the world still shines today
                                In a lowly cattle stall
                                Love was born to save us all.

                               It's a season of hope, a season of joy
                               And it all goes back to a Baby Boy
                               When God reached down and changed the world forever
                               We can reach out, we can believe.

                               In the power of love, we can all meet a need
                              And love can change the world forever
                              Behind the lights and the Christmas cheer
                              People try to hide their fear.

                              Many hungry hearts are lost and cold
                              But we can be the Light of Christ
                              Bring some joy to someone's life
                              And share the greatest story ever told.

                             Love can change the world, love can change the world
                             We are His hands, we are His feet
                             Across a thousand miles or across your street
                             We are His hands, we are His feet.

                             Across a thousand miles or across your street
                             We've got a gift,
                             Let's give it away
                             Make a difference today!

                   Be Blessed This Advent Season And Share Those Blessings!