Joy Completed in Christ
Written by Emilie Weaver
"Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready."
- Revelation 19:7
Imagine the last time your heart felt so full, so content, and so grateful that you couldn’t contain it. Your breathing quickened, your heart leapt, your eyes welled up, or you belly laughed simply because you couldn’t contain your joy.
The Hebrew word for joy that appears in Luke 2:10-11 is "Chara." This word signifies something deeper than a feeling of cheerfulness or happiness. It alludes to a deep, eternally lasting delight and contentment that comes from something bigger than circumstances. Chara is given to someone and cannot be taken away. It is joy, wrapped up with hope, trust, and the expectation of what is promised to be fulfilled. This word "joy" that is used to tell the shepherds that a Savior has come, is the same word used to describe the disciples who find an empty tomb (Matthew 28:8)! It is the word used to describe the joy that occurs in heaven when a sinner repents (Luke 15:7). It is also the same word that describes fruit in the life of the believer (Galatians 5:22).
This word "joy" is something greater than a feeling. It is a present reality gifted to the Christian whose life has been saved by the incarnate God who died and rose again. In the Christmastide days ahead, may we remember that Christ not only became man to ransom and redeem His people, but also promises a day when our joy will be made complete. And until that day, He has made a way for us to draw near to Himself, that we might give Him the praise due His name for all He is and all He has done.
PRAYER: Lord God, thank You that You have made our joy full and that You promise there will be a day it is made complete. Help us to give You the glory due Your name.
