Tuesday, December 15: Philippians 4:4
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” ...The Lord is near.
— Philippians 4:4 NIV
God created humans to be capable of experiencing unspeakable joy. In this world, this type of joy is rare, but perhaps many of us can recall how we felt standing at the altar and facing our beloved at our wedding ceremony, or the wonderful feeling of holding our newborn in our arms for the first time. This kind of wondrous joy may be felt only a few times in our lives, yet it leaves its lasting mark on us for as long as we live. With this in mind, it may be possible for us to relate to the amazing joy a group of shepherds experienced in the fields outside a little town called Bethlehem, in Israel, some two-thousand years ago. These shepherds marveled as they saw an angel joyously announce the birth of our Savior, the Messiah, and as a great company of the heavenly host, surrounded by the very glory of God, praised Him (Luke 2). Indeed, this was an unforgettable moment for those shepherds. Elsewhere in Scripture, we can read about joy. As we do, whether it be in the Psalms (51:12; 86:4), or in John (15: 11), or in Romans (14: 7), or as the Virgin Mary hears the world-changing news given her by the Angel Gabriel and responds, “…My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47), one theme becomes crystal clear. That is, joy, this precious fruit of the Lord’s Holy Spirit, is directly tied to the presence of God, to His glory and salvation in Jesus. This type of joy cannot be manufactured, sold, or consumed in earthly ways and holidays. It is a gift from the Father of Lights above to us, when we seek Him earnestly and make Him our dwelling place. In this Advent Season, may we be caught up in this joy, as we, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, seek anew the place where Emmanuel, God with us, is found.
Toni Chiareli