Joy
8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)
Good morning family! I pray this word reaches you and finds you in “an inexpressible and glorious joy” as described in the verse above. Last night in Poland, we received close to six-inches of snow. I decided to skip church this morning and venture to my spot in the woods to pray and soak in the stunning beauty of a heavy fresh snowfall. It was a refreshing, replenishing, reconnection this morning. The quiet solitude of a snow-covered-forest is the perfect place to connect to God. After spending some time in prayer, I began to make my way back to base and decided to avoid some ancient stairs that were covered in snow and make my way down the hillside.
Well, I came to a few areas with some decent descents and I stood on the top of them wishing I had a sled or a snowboard. Then I let the inner-kid in me take over and I simply slid down them on my side. It was so much fun. And I found myself filled with the joy of a young boy exploring the woods. I have always lived in the south and this winter is the first true winter I have lived through. My experience this morning reminded me of what Jesus meant when He said to have a child-like faith. Faith to follow your heart and explore the world around you. Faith to take a step off the beaten path and get lost in God’s glory. Faith in having fun as a child would do. Living with faith like that brings you to a child-like joy.
As we approach the Christmas holiday, do not let the stress of your adult life cloud the joy of this season. Approach this Christmas with the same joyful anticipation you used to hold as a child, waiting for the excitement of getting the best present you ever could want. But for us adults, the best present is the reminder of the gift that came when Jesus was born in a manger, to begin His life here on Earth. There is no greater joy than that.
To kick off the holiday season, here is Phil Wickham’s rendition of “Joy to the World”. His version is currently my favorite that exists out there. Click the image below and see a glorious remake of this holiday classic.
Common Sense Reborn 