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Wednesday, December 16, 2015

The Priceless Gift of Joy



Joy to the world, the Lord has come.


Into this beautiful world, 
and into this world filled with chaos and tears, 
Joy has come. 
Even in the midst of the wind and the storms, 
in our pain and in our losses, 
Joy has come. 


Isn't this what all of mankind longs for? 
What we all desire?

We look for joy everywhere, 
and we look for joy everyday. 
We are made for this - to long for deep-rooted happiness, 
the kind that bubbles up from within.

And we are not left alone to find this sought-after treasure ... 
we are told where to find what we long for.


You make known to me the path of life;
in Your presence there is fullness of joy;
at Your right hand
are pleasures forevermore.
(Psalm 16:11 ESV)


In our times of celebration,
when we are in need ...
Wherever we are,
whatever our situation,
there is JOY close by,
with us, within. 
With Him.


I bring you good news
that will bring great joy to all people.
The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - 
has been born ...
(from Luke 2:10-11 NLT))


 ... they will call Him Immanuel,
which means 'God is with us'.
(Matthew 1:23 NLT)


Into this beautiful world, 
and into this world filled with chaos and tears, 
Joy has come. 
Even in the midst of the wind and the storms, 
in our pain and in our losses, 
Joy has come.




Lord, how can we thank You? For IMMANUEL - God with us. For JOY, as "in Your presence is fullness of joy". JOY - close by, available to us, within us ... in the sunshine and in the rain, in the hard and in the good. There is always JOY to be found, for You are with us.

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Linking up with Bonnie's #OneWordAdvent


Note: My blog will be quiet for the next week or two, as I'll be celebrating with family, and reflecting on the gifts of this beautiful season. You'll find me back here shortly before we turn the page to a brand New Year! Have a blessed Christmas with your loved ones!

5 comments:

  1. God with us. Yes, this where our joy is. Beautiful, Cherry. "And we are not left alone to find this sought-after treasure ...
    we are told where to find what we long for."

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    1. Thanks, Lisa! So, so grateful that we have the privilege of knowing where to find JOY - and praying for many more to find it. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family!

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  2. Beautiful post. It's so true that we can know joy even in the midst of difficult situations because God is with us. I love the verses you highlight, especially the one from Psalm 16.

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    1. Thanks for your visit, Carly, and for these words. Yes, I think that it is in the midst of difficult situations that we maybe can experience the deepest joy, as it seems He is even closer than ever, as we are so in need of Him. Have a very special Christmas!

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  3. Thank you for the reminder that it's only in God's presence that we find true joy..."the world didn't give it & the world can't take it away". (Where did I hear that from?) Anyhow, this post is full of loveliness..."joy unspeakable & full of glory" to you & your loved ones! Love, in Jesus, Cynthia

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