FRIDAY | “JOY To The World”

“Joy to the World” is a masterpiece full of meaningful reminders about the power of JOY to help us and to keep us focused on the rule and reign of Christ Jesus. It calls us back to living the surrendered life as we “prepare Him room” in our own hearts and minds. Consider listening to your favorite versions of the song as you reflect on the Spirit’s work in you and through you. Again, author Dallas Willard reminds us that joy is:

• Pervasive and constant—an underlying condition of well-being that is always present and not dependent on external circumstances.
• Rooted in hope and God’s goodness, sustained by confidence in GOD.
• Able to coexist with sorrow, as we recognize what is true “under God” and His rule.

The message of this hymn is simple, clear, and uplifting. It doesn’t require much explanation. Isaac Watts said it well: there is joy, the King has come, sin no longer reigns, and blessings flow everywhere HE rules!

Do you experience joy as a “pervasive and constant condition of well-being”? What seems to keep you from living into that as your reality?

When do you tend to lose confidence in God?

Do you believe that joy can coexist with sorrow and suffering? Have you ever witnessed this in someone? What was that like for you?

Would you like to have the joy of the Lord as your strength, as Nehemiah 8:10 says is possible? (See also Psalm 28:7.)

Write a short prayer asking God to make this true in your life.