And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:10-11
The word “joy” is all around us this time of year—but sometimes we need a reminder to experience it.
Sometimes we don’t give ourselves permission to be joyful; sometimes we’re just too busy. Sometimes we unwrap quick bursts of happiness but never make it to that deeper, more fulfilling emotion: joy.
Joy is at the heart of Christmas. It’s the good news the angels bring: joy for all people! A savior is born—and he’s nearby. You can go meet him, right now. God is no longer far away; he’s here with us, and he’s not going to leave.
Joy comes spilling out of a dusty stable in Bethlehem, where a woman has just given birth and a father beholds a miracle. Everyone who comes to meet that baby walks away changed. Joy spreads through the local town, to the surrounding hill country, and ultimately, eventually, throughout the world.
The Lord is come. Joy—to us.
Maybe your attic is bursting with things that make you smile and warm your heart—and maybe it’s not. Maybe your life is overflowing with good things this year, and happiness comes easily—and maybe it doesn’t.
The Christmas story is an invitation to grab on to joy and not let go. When we aren’t worried about losing our joy—when our happiness isn’t on a minute-to-minute basis, when we aren’t striving to make ourselves happy through presents and money and people—we find peace. Joy and peace live together—in a manger, in Bethlehem, in your house.
Because the good news is just as we were told: Jesus is here. It’s Christmas. Rejoice.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:20
The angels promised good news—and the shepherds found it. And when they did, it filled them with joy. Today, try and dig in to joy. Go wild. Be joyful—because the Lord has come—and see where that joy takes you. If you’ve never embraced or experienced the joy of the manger, ask God today how to take a step inside, closer to the source of joy.