Joy to the World

 

Okay day 2 of the 24 Days of Christmas blog post over here at the Great Faith Adventure (seriously sounds like there is a whole team of bloggers when in reality it is me, 3 cats, a kitten and a turtle and last time I checked I was the only one who could type and read lol). I was going to say my advance apologies for Casting Crowns again which is who today's song is by, but no I am not. I like Casting Crowns. I have two of their cds/ Would be more than happy to add some more of their stuff to my collection :)

 

 

So today and yesterday I was listening to my Casting Crowns Christmas cd. I was listening to the song multiple times (not because I am ocd although some might wonder because I make everyone take their shoes off before coming inside. I blame Korea on that one). I noticed the beginning of the song (I have noticed it before, it just really made me think). It is like a command from God. Joy to the world. It is not a hard command. Joy. I looked up the word joy. People tend to equate joy with happiness. But the two are not the same. Happiness is dependent upon on external surroundings being in harmony and perfectly aligned. Yet that is never the case in people's lives. We live in a fallen world and there are things that are never ever going to be perfectly aligned in our lives. For instance in my life I live in north Arlington and drive the back roads to north Dallas for work. It takes me an hour to get there. And there is traffic. Oh how I hate traffic. Or another example is bugs I found a dead one on my counter this morning. I hate bugs. They need to go away. Permanently. Yet that will not ever be the case unless I could get a gecko and prevent my sweet calico kitty from chowing down on the gecko.

 

 

Getting back to the definitions at hand, joy according to the dictionary is a feeling of great happiness. I dug a little deeper to see what the biblical definition of joy was. Kay Warren had this to say:

 

Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.

 

 

So when you think about the first words of joy to the world it says God is in control of this world even though bad things happen. When you look at the next words of the song it says the Lord has come. Joy to the world. The Lord has come. Joy to the world God has sent His Son who would one day step up on that cross to take our place. To die for the sins of you and me and all of mankind. Joy to the world the Lord has come. Joy. Reflect upon that and how God brought joy to a dark and fallen world in desperate need of a Savior.

 

I continue to lift up my friend. Even if God has to wake me up in the middle of the night to pray for him. I will gladly do it (two nights in a row now). I am starting to write down some verses to share with him if God ever grants me the honor and the privilege of sitting down and sharing Christ with him. I pray for God to prepare me and for God to soften his heart and for his eyes to be opened to his need for the Savior. I pray for miracles upon miracles upon miracles for him this Christmas season. What a wonderful gift that would be for him to trust Jesus to be his Savior. He will always remember that moment and this time of the year will forever be one that he cherishes. Pray people. In the meantime enjoy Casting Crowns singing Joy to the World.

 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and heaven and nature sing

Joy to the world the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His love

Joy to the world
The wonders of Your love
The wonders of Your love