Christmas is a time of joy – family get-togethers, happy memories, old traditions, presents, goodies, carols, and parties.  Yet many struggle with joy at this time of year – perhaps they are sick, or alone, or without a job.  Many struggle as they remember a loved one who has passed away.  Even when our circumstances are good, we are busy which makes us weary and often anything but joyful.  Where can we find lasting joy? 

We can find lasting joy in the coming of a Savior.  In the Luke 2:10-11, the angel proclaims: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” 

A Savior has come – God has taken on flesh, been born as a baby, become one of us.  A Savior has come – to die on a cross to pay the penalty for sin and rebellion, so people could be forgiven and have a relationship with God.  A Savior has come – who rose from the dead to give new life with Christ and the hope of heaven and one’s own resurrection.  No matter our circumstances, this reality remains: a Savior has come, and we can find lasting joy here.

We can find lasting joy in our salvation.  After sending out 72 disciples, we read in Luke 10:17-20: The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”  And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.  Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 

The disciples are rejoicing in this power over the devil and his minions, and it is a wonderful thing to see the devil defeated.  We too like power, the spectacular.  We want to see miracles.  But Jesus reminds us there is something greater to rejoice in – that our names are written in heaven, that we have been saved through Jesus Christ.  We rejoice not only that a Savior has come, but that our Savior has come – that salvation has been applied in our lives through faith.  No matter our circumstances, if we have received Jesus as our Savior, we have the greatest blessing in the world – and we can find lasting joy here.

We can find lasting joy in God’s will.  Jesus goes on in Luke 10:21-24 to say: In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.  All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”  Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!  For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

God is sovereign.  He acts according to his will,  has the power to accomplish his will, and so his will gets done.  If we will find joy in God’s will like Jesus does here, we can find lasting joy.  Our problem is that we seek joy in our own will, in what we want.  If we get what we want, we are happy.  If we don’t get what we want, we aren’t happy.  If we seek joy in our own will, we will often be without joy – unless we conform our will to God’s will.  We need to learn to trust in God’s will even when we don’t get it.  We need to learn to be content with God’s plan for our lives even when it is hard.  If we will conform our will to his, trust in his will, and learn to be content with his plan, we can find lasting joy in God’s will like Jesus did.

Paul gives us a great example here in the book of Philippians.  Paul is in prison.  Yet as you read this letter you see a man who is conforming his will to God’s.  He is trusting God’s will.  He is content no matter what happens.  For him, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  And what is the great characteristic of this letter that jumps out at us?  Joy.  Paul is rejoicing, because he can find joy in God’s will.  If Paul found lasting joy in God’s will even in prison, we can find lasting joy in God’s will in the midst of our trials.  But again we must conform our will to his, trust him, and learn to be content with his plan for our lives.

Finally, we can find lasting joy in God Himself.  Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  Note the word “always.”  We should always rejoice in the Lord.  We can find lasting joy in Him.  God blesses us with many temporary joys.  Even in our worst trials, God sends blessings.  And as we receive his many blessings, we always have reason to rejoice in him.

And yet, we rejoice in the Lord not just because of his blessings, but because of Himself.  In Psalm 16:11, David writes: …in your presence there is fullness of joy….  We can find lasting joy in God Himself.  Note the context of Psalm 16.  It begins with the words: Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.  David is in the midst of some trial – and finds joy in God.  In the midst of our trails then, we too can find joy in his presence.  Note further that in God, David finds fullness of joy.  We can find some joy in various blessings, but in the source of every blessing there is fullness of joy.  So let us draw near to him and find in Him lasting joy.

Our circumstances may be good or bad this Christmas.  But no matter our circumstances we can find lasting joy in the coming of a Savior, in our own salvation, in God’s will, and in God Himself.  May you have a joyful Christmas!