Advent: Joy
“Though 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, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” ~ 1 Peter 1:8-9, NIV
“I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God!
For He has dressed me with the clothing of salvation
and draped me in a robe of righteousness.” ~ Isaiah 61:10, NLT
“You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of Your presence
and the pleasures of living with You forever.” ~ Psalm 16:11, NLT
But let all who take refuge and put their trust in You rejoice,
Let them ever sing for joy;
Because You cover and shelter them,
Let those who love Your name be joyful and exult in You. ~ Psalm 5:11, AMP
Though weary of life’s struggles, I want to rejoice in You, Lord
Lord, I cannot believe it’s time once again to celebrate Your birth — to rejoice in the moment You came to earth so we could know You. How can it be? Miracle of miracles! Immanuel. God with us. Hallelujah! For When life is hard and joy is distant, there is Jesus. Never failing. Always abiding.
Though weary of life’s struggles, I want to rejoice in You — I choose to rejoice in You — for You are my God and I love You.
My mind is boggled with stress, my body exhausted, but as I focus on You, the heaviness lifts, the tears cease, and I remember that I am not alone. I remember that You love me, You care for my every need, and You hold my hand as I navigate this steep terrain, especially on the days when life is hard.
Rejoice, O my soul, for though the world quakes, the Lord is by my side. He is steadfast and faithful.
I would surely have crumbled beneath the weight by now, but You, Lord, are my Burden-Bearer. You are my Savior and Lord. My God and my King. You fill me with inexpressible and glorious joy even when life is hard and I feel so weak.
The joy of the Lord is my strength! When I press into You, and open my eyes to see You drawing near, peace returns and I find contentment in the difficult place. Without fail, Jesus is there. You hold me fast, Lord, and calm my restless fears.
As church bells ring out the proclamation of Your birth, I rejoice in the peace that envelops me … the peace that surpasses all understanding, the peace that only You can give.
I’m so thankful for Your presence Lord when life is hard
Awaken my heart to recognize Your presence — the source of Your perfect peace and joy. For in Your presence is fullness of joy. In Your presence, all is at rest. And in Your presence, I remember I am not alone when life is hard and is trying to consume me.
I adore You, Lord. Thank You for the day heaven came to earth. I am a life that was changed. I love You.
In Jesus’s Name, I pray,
Amen
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Please don’t carry your burdens alone. I would be honored to pray for you. You may contact me directly at nan@nanjones.com
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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.
Sweet blessings to you,
Oh Nan!! Your words are beautiful and so appreciated. I dk why my stones have not left my body yet, but yes, I will rejoice that He is with me. Even if that’s all I have, I am so grateful for His Presence. You helped this weary pilgrim look up. Love you too. Merry Christmas to you and David and thank you for your heart for the Lord. He’s living big in you, and I am so thankful.
Thank you for your kindness, Pam. You are such an encouragement to me. I’m so sorry you are dealing with kidney stones — I’ve heard that is a misery all of its own. It makes me smile to see you being thankful in the midst of the pain and hardship. That’s when God can do His best work. He will be faithful to deliver you from this, and THEN you can comfort others with the comfort you have received 🙂 I hope your Christmas is filled with blessings (and no kidney stones!). I’m praying for you right now …
Nan,
What an awesome reading. When life is hard, it is easy to feel alone. However, I know God is with me. I welcome your prayers for my health. I have been dealing with stomach issues and blood pressure for months now. I know I need to cast my cares, and trust him. Exodus 25:23 – He said, “I will take sickness away from the mist of you”. I have allowed fear and anxiety in, and I know that it does not come from my Lord and Savior. I want to stand firm on his word even when I don’t see anything happening.
God Bless…
I’m so sorry you are suffering. Over the years, I have learned that when we think God isn’t doing anything, that’s when He is doing His most important work to answer our prayers. In the waiting is when He is putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together for us. I love that He searches our hearts and knows all of our anxious thoughts. He doesn’t condemn us for those emotions — I believe He draws even closer to comfort us. I encourage you to LOOK UP and expect Him drawing near. When we look away from the circumstances, it’s easier to see Him coming into view. I am covering you in prayer right now…