Joy: A Countdown to ChristmasSample

The Story Begins 

What exactly is joy? 

To unpack it, let’s go back to when God created the world. Imagine you’ve just been brought to life by the breath of God, and as God pulls you up from the ground, He smiles at you. From then on, whenever He looks at you, His face lights up. Life’s perfect until one day, you do the only thing God swore you could never do, and because of this act of rebellion, you separate yourself from the One who knew you perfectly and loved you relentlessly. In an instant, what was meant to be eternal closeness with God becomes eternal separation from Him. 

That’s what happens in Genesis 1-3… but thankfully, it’s not the end of the story. Even though humanity messes up, God makes a promise that He will send someone to mend our brokenness and restore our relationship with Him. 

Christmas marks the arrival of God’s promised answer when the Creator God took the form of a baby and became “God with us.” Because of Christmas, now anyone who chooses to believe in Christ can experience a permanent joy that only comes from knowing God personally. 

Over the next week, we’ll take a look at several Biblical examples of people who exemplify this life-changing joy. Today, prepare for Christmas by reflecting on what the coming of a Savior meant to people trapped in perpetual separation from God, and thank Jesus for becoming “God with us.”

Pray this Prayer:

God, it is because You came to earth as a baby that I can experience unending joy. This week, help me to appreciate the birth of my Savior in a new way. Would the joy of the Christmas story leap from the Bible and transform me. Prepare my heart today to receive Your glory.