JOY

Posted on by pastorevanaolcom

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,

                And come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads:

They shall come obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 35:10

                                                                                                                      

Marva J. Dawn writes in her book Joy In Our Weakness, “Joy is the deep sense of God’s sustaining Presence, the realization that divine light is greater than any darkness that might temporarily assail us. Thus, Joy does not mean “happiness,” which is dependent upon human circumstances.”

My joy is not dependent upon my circumstances but instead comes from my relationship with my Creator, and that never changes. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

In these days of much uncertainty there is one thing for certain, and that is the God we serve.

Let us consider the words of the psalmist:

Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”

            Let the light of Your face shine upon us, O Lord.

            You have filled my heart with greater JOY

            Than when their grain and new wine abound.

            I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for You alone, O Lord,

make me dwell in safety.

What brings you JOY?

For me it is my family –

Including our furry ones –

Even the morning chores –

The breaking of a new day –

The setting of the sun –

As you light the third candle – the candle of JOY –  let us remember that because Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, walked this earth in human form experiencing everything we experience, died on a cross at Calvary, rose from the grave defeating death, and now sits at the right hand of God our Father, we are redeemed. We live in the Joy of the Lord for Christ is our JOY!      

But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice:

let them ever shout for JOY, because Thou defendest them:

let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee.

Psalm 5:11

THE CANDLE OF HOPE

Posted on by pastorevanaolcom

Today we light the candle of HOPE.

O LORD,

as I light this first candle of the Advent season

– the candle of HOPE –

I am reminded of the hope that I have in You.

My Advent wreath holds small jar candles.

The flame is small but steady, giving light in the darkness.

The darkness cannot overcome the light that it gives.

We live in a world that threatens to overwhelm us with the darkness of evil.

There are wars,

Russia attacking Ukraine, Hamas terrorists attacking Israel;

and civil wars

in the Central African Republic, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.

There are countries experiencing terrorist insurgencies and ethnic violence.

 There are drug wars in South America.

There are natural disasters

volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes, forest fires,

flooding in some areas with severe drought in others.

There are fears of another pandemic,

supply chain issues,

financial concerns,

and a lack of trust in our own government.

And the list goes on.

All of this leads to a sense of despair,

a lack of hope.

But I am reminded when I see the small flame of my Advent candle,

the darkness cannot overcome the light.

LORD,

You know the state of this world.

For God so loved the world,

that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,

but have everlasting life.

For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world;

but that the world through Him might be saved.

He that believeth on Him is not condemned:

but he that believeth not is condemned already,

because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation,

that LIGHT is come into the world,

and men loved darkness rather than LIGHT,

because their deeds were evil.

John 3:16-19

LORD,

You had a plan from the beginning.

In the beginning was the WORD,

and the WORD was with GOD,

and the WORD was GOD.

The same was in the beginning with GOD.

All things were made by HIM:

and without HIM

was not anything made that was made.

In HIM was life;

and the life was the LIGHT of men.

And the LIGHT shineth in the darkness;

and the darkness comprehended it not.

John 1:1-5

LORD,

You are our HOPE!

These things I have spoken unto you,

that in Me ye might have peace.

In the world ye shall have tribulation:

but be of good cheer;

I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

And so on this the First Sunday of Advent

I thank You for the birth of a tiny babe so long ago,

Jesus Christ,

Emmanuel,

God with us.

And I thank You for the promise,

Let not your heart be troubled:

ye believe in God,

believe also in Me.

In my Father’s house are many mansions:

if it were not so,

I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you,

I will come again,

and receive you unto myself;

that where I am,

there ye may be also.

John 14:1-2

LORD,

As we await Your coming,

we live in a world where hope is scarce.

But for those who know YOU,

for those who trust in YOU,

we have this hope.

As You have cared for us in past days,

so we trust You to care for us this day,

and in the days to come.

As we await the day of Your return,

show us how to live in this world

in such a way as to bring

honor, glory and praise

to Your Holy Name.

AMEN