Joy Has Dawned Devotions Created by Nan Allen
Week 1: JOY It s a fruit. Read Galatians 5:22. It is part of the gift basket that the Spirit gives to believers. It s a promise. Read John 16:21-23. At the famous after-dinner speech, Jesus gives His disciples encouragement to wait for it, to endure the heartache, and then to know that it will last once it comes. It s a feeling in the heart. Read Psalm 28:7-8 from the New International Version of the Bible. The psalmist indicates that it can even be felt in the heart. It s inexpressible. Read 1 Peter 1:8. Simon Peter, believe it or not, seems to be at a loss for words. He says that it is just too hard to describe. It is joy. In the Christmas narrative, an angel brings news of joy to a group of shepherds. Luke 2:10 says: And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. What news has brought you joy? Did it make your heart leap? Have you endured sorrow but still knew that joy would one day return? Pray for the joy in your life to be restored and renewed.
Week 2: LIGHT Arise, shine, for your light has come. As a child and member of my home church s Girls Auxiliary, this was one of the first Bible verses I learned. It s from Isaiah 60:1, and it was our watchword. Read John 8:2-12. Verse 12 is another memory verse that we all know and love, but look at the preceding verses. Of what well-known story is this a part? Why would Jesus have chosen this moment to proclaim Himself the Light of the world? To the character in the John 8 passage, it must have seemed that a light switch had been flipped on. Can you imagine the things that she saw after this incident? What do you think she saw for the first time in her life? Look at John 9:1-5. Why does Jesus proclaim Himself again as the Light of the world? What are the differences between these two characters? What are their similarities? In what ways has the Light illuminated things in your life? Pray that God will reveal those darkened corners of your life and brighten those places with His presence. Scripture quotation taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB, and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
Week 3: ANGELS There are not many facts about angels in the Bible. However, angels are mentioned in all but seven books of the Bible, so we know they must exist. They are in most cases heavenly beings in service to God. The origin of angels is not explained in the Bible either. Their functions, according to Scripture, are to deliver messages from heaven to man, to protect the heavenly throne, and even to invoke God s punishment to man. Read the Nativity narrative in Luke 2. How do the angels function here? To whom did they appear? What was shining around them? The appearance of just one angel (see verses 9-10) was enough to scare those poor shepherds to death. Can you imagine what a great company of the heavenly host looked like and sounded like? Talk about a spectacle! Is it possible that, even now, angels do still come to earth with good news? Well, after the good news was told to the shepherds that night outside Bethlehem, what did they do? Read verses 15-16. Are you so excited about the good news of Jesus that you will make haste or hurry off to tell someone else? Would your testimony amaze all who hear it? Pray that the good news will never become old news in your life.
Week 4: THE ROCKS CRY OUT There are several places in Scripture where inanimate objects were given voices of praise. These are figurative references, of course, but read about them and see why these references were made. Read Habakkuk 2:11. What objects would cry out or make other noises? Read the preceding verses and find out why. Read Psalm 98:8. What things were given human qualities and privileges? What was the purpose of this analogy? Now read Luke 19:28-40. To what does Jesus ascribe a human quality? Why do you think He did this? What is He trying to say to us today? Pray for a heart of praise and adoration to the King of kings!
Week 5: WORSHIP The first mention of worship directed to Jesus (God in the flesh) can be found in Matthew 2. Read the whole chapter. Who were those first worshipers? Were these visitors of the faith or Jews? Do you think they were educated in the Word of God? Why were they so drawn to worship a God they probably did not know yet? What does true worship require? Do the wise men meet the requirements of true worshipers? Why or why not? Read Romans 12:1-2. Does this define a lifestyle of worship? What are the requirements named here? Surrender yourself to God as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to Him.
Week 6: ROSE The song Gesu Bambino has an Italian origin. Written in 1917 by Pietro Yon, the carol shares a chorus with the beloved song O Come, All Ye Faithful. Yon s carol says this: When blossoms flower e er mid the snow Upon a winter night Was born the Child, the Christmas Rose The King of Love and Light. From where does the comparison of Jesus to a rose come? Read Song of Solomon 2:1. Do you think that this reference is prophetic an analogy about the yet-to-come Christ? If so, what could this description say about the Savior? Now read Isaiah 35:1-2. What two places does Isaiah mention in these verses? Do you know anything else about these places? (Scholars say that both were stunningly beautiful.) So what would a rose of Sharon look like? Beauty upon beauty? Is the prophet using the same analogy as Solomon did for the coming Messiah? Ask God to reveal a true beautiful picture of Jesus to you. Then ask that He would allow you to experience the sweet aroma of life lived in Him.
Week 7: EMMANUEL The first mention of this word in the Bible is found in Isaiah chapter 7. We hear about and write about it a lot at Christmastime because we know that this is foretelling the coming of the Messiah. But read the whole story behind it. To whom was the sign of Emmanuel promised? Under what circumstances would the sign be given? Did the character in the story call upon the sign of Emmanuel? Why or why not? Now read the first chapter of Matthew. There you will find the word Emmanuel again. To whom was this revelation given this time? What are the circumstances? Here the Scripture even gives the definition of the word. (The King James Version spells the word with an e ; most other translations spell it with an i. It is the same word, however.) What does it mean to you to know that Jesus was and is God with us? Is this a comfort to you? Pray that God will reveal to you what it means to always have Him with you.
Week 8: I AM PRESSED Read 2 Corinthians 4:1-7. Some Bible translations give this whole chapter the heading Jars of Clay because of verse 7. In context with the rest of this chapter, why do you think that Paul uses this analogy here? Read verses 8-9. Do you feel hard pressed (or pressured) sometimes? Is it possible to perceive this pressure as a positive thing? Can you name things that become stronger or more valuable with pressure? (Hint: Carbon turns into diamonds after years of heat and pressure.) Whenever you are hard pressed, whenever you feel perplexed, whenever you are struck down, remember these Scripture verses and realize that you are not crushed, abandoned, or destroyed. As the song Trading My Sorrows encourages, lay down your burdens and sorrows and pick up the joy of the Lord.