THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 2:8-14
“I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2:10)
What would it take to bring great joy to ALL people?
To the poor, oppressed, homeless, anxious, abused, lonely, sick, depressed, distraught?
Think of all the people living at this very moment; how many of them could use good news?
According to the angels, the Messiah’s birth is for great joy for all people.
This makes this message HUGE, the best news there could ever be.
Oh that it could be true, that this kind of news is possible.
We may dream and strive for this kind of world, but it seems impossible.
For me, as impossible as it may seem, Jesus offers this kind of ‘good news’.
A message that is for all people, and especially those in crisis, misery or despair.
Sometimes at Christmas we get hints of this, through kindness, good will, generosity.
But what would it take for this to continue, and to grow, through the year?
The answer to me is… Jesus, to welcome Jesus and His heart into our hearts.
To allow the love and life of Jesus to take us over, and transform us.
To become agents of good news and great joy for ALL people!
To the poor, oppressed, homeless, anxious, abused, lonely, sick, depressed, distraught!
This WILL bring glory to God, and peace to all His much-loved children!
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, may I not just celebrate ‘christmas’ this month, but may I become ‘christmas’ – good news of great joy for all people – through the whole year!
Jesus follower
trying to find His way
Anywho as I was trying to write before my phone posted (rude), was that reading this I feel some sense of conviction in my own life. As I read above, ‘what would it take to bring great joy to ALL people, to the poor, oppressed, homeless, anxious, abused, lonely, sick, depressed, distraught?’ I was thinking. Well I feel to this day that I am anxious, abused, lonely, sick, depressed even though I know of Jesus.
Then I read on and I realized it wasn’t about the circumstances or feelings that changed once someone knows Jesus. It is about the perspective. Other words, what if us (the still broken, sick, depressed, anxious) are able to share with others the LOVE of Jesus as being the HOPE for a better world. Not to say, once you accept Jesus into you’re heart that life will be a breeze. But…that they too are not alone. That they have a friend named Jesus who felt ALL these things too and first. That the burden we, and everyone keeps carrying we don’t have to carry alone.
Good news seems impossible these days. Test results show cancer, marriages that end up in divorce, families that are highly dysfunctional and the news only gets sadder and sadder. I always tried to look at ‘external’ things as good news. Say a raise at work, healing from an illness, 15 new kids at my work program starting. But how long does these temporary good news feelings last for? Not long. We hunger for more good news. It is never enough to satisfy our souls. That is why Jesus is the Good News. He is the only tangible and real thing that can be just enough. That is how I can bring the good news fourth, not because I am still not that broken, lost, confused girl. But because when all else fades, and sometimes even the entire world can be against you, you still have someone that never wavers His love.
Observations/Application
JOY to the world. The Lord has come.
He is the cause for joy for all peoples.
The word joy is found more than 200 times in the Bible and is a basic ingredient for all Christians. The fruit of the Spirit is joy, . . . a basic ingredient as we hear the angels sing joyfully.
Psalm 28 states -The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
He is the cause of true joy. Christ has come. Christ will come again. Our God reigns and that is reason for great joy being a child of the King. And I will
enjoy this day He has made in joy
while
walking in His SonShine.
Sing to Him a new song.
Shout for joy.
Joy to The world! the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing