John and Kathy Deisher

One Call, One Harvest, 50 Teams

joy

Take the Leap

By

Read Luke 1:39-45

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Meditate

I am a pretty typical grandparent. When we go to visit my grandchildren, I love the moment when they first spot me and come running. When they get to me, they don’t stop, shake my hand and say, “Nice to see you.”

No, they run yelling “Gramps!” and jump into my arms with joy.

This is what Elizabeth experienced. This was no normal kick of a baby while in the womb when Mary, the mother of Jesus, entered her home. This was a joyful celebration of the promise—that God the Father loved his creation so much he would send his only son so that anyone who believed in him might not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

It is easy during the holiday season to lose that joy. It could be the lines and crowds at the store. It could be the anticipation of seeing that difficult family member. It could be remembering the loss of a loved one. It could simply by the wear of daily life.

But if you will listen, you will hear the greeting of the Holy Spirit. And, if you will enter the moment, the God-promises within you will begin to leap for joy.

Pray

“Father, let me hear your voice today and let the promises you have placed in me that are waiting to be birthed jump for joy in your greeting. Help me remember why I celebrate Christmas and the reason for the season. Amen.

Contemplate

  • Greet people with joy today. Be truly glad to see them because they are a gift from God to you.
  • Spend some time today reflecting on the God-promises you are carrying. Listen to the voice of God to bring joy to those promises.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Choose Joy

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“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”

— Henri J.M. Nouwen

Photo by Quan Nguyen on Unsplash

I appreciate those people who seem to be happy all the time. But that is not me.

Sometimes there are things going on that make happiness feel unattainable for me. There are things I face that don’t make me happy.

But I still have joy. Even in those tough times, I keep an attitude of joy.

My joy comes from knowing who I am in God, and though the situation I face may be challenging it does not change who I am as God’s child.

So I choose joy.

Everyday.

Yes, sometimes I forget to choose joy. I can be a bit grumpy.

But I always come back to it.

Stop waiting for good things to happen and bad things to stop happening. Choose joy.

Everyday.

Learn to Dance

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“Learn to dance, so when you get to heaven the angels know what to do with you.”

― St. Augustine
(Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash)

Kathy and I were going through a difficult time. It was one of those dark seasons of life you never want someone to experience.

One night, for whatever reason, we decided that enough was enough. We opened all the doors and windows and put on some up-tempo praise music.

Then, we started to dance.

And dance.

And dance.

We grabbed brooms and “swept out the devil”.

Our children came out of their rooms to watch us.

We laughed. A lot.

And we danced.

It was on that night that we came up with one of our life phrases: “Dance in the midst of your troubles. It confuses the devil.”

But not the angels. They know what to do with someone who dances with joy in the midst of their troubles as well as in those times of great celebration. The angels welcome dancers as those who have learned to find their joy in God.

So dance.

Choosing Joy

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“God save us from gloomy saints!” 

― St. Theresa of Avila
No more gloomy saints.
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash)

Joy is one of the results of a life devoted to Christ. It is on the list that we call the “Fruit of the Spirit” because when we are in Christ, the fruit is what we produce.

Produce.

As in, work to make happen.

Because not every situation brings joy in itself. We often confuse joy and happiness. If something makes us feel good, if it makes us laugh, we feel we have joy.

But joy is the feeling we get when we realize the prospect of possessing what we desire—a relationship with God and sharing that relationship with others. That is why the Fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control—is produced in us as we face life moment by moment. We see each event knowing we already possess our greatest desire. We know we are loved.

And who can be gloomy when they are in love?