Joy

I have been enjoying my Christmas CD gift set from WDYN radio.  Send them a check for the radio support and get your own.  I particularly like the quartet rendition of “Joy to the World”.  The Christmas season is such a joyous time of the year!  My nephew and his wife had their second little girl last week making this Thanksgiving especially joyous.  Little Elsie is soooo cute!  And seeing her reminds me of the joyous birth of Jesus so many years ago.  God’s wonderful gift to humankind.  But when I think of God’s original creation, I am reminded that God created Adam and Eve to bring joy to Him!  How amazing that mortal humans can bring Joy to the Creator of the Universe!  But Adam sinned plunging the entire human race into darkness.  We are all flawed with sin.  It’s part of our DNA.  But God loved us so much that He set in motion a plan to redeem us from our fallen, sinful condition.  What the Christmas story begins, the Easter story completes.  The writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Jesus looked to the painfulness of the cross with joy because He used the cross redeemed us back to Himself!  Jesus gladly paid our sin debt and restored our sweet fellowship with Him!  What joy that brings to my heart!  And the joy of my loving Creator comes back full circle.  Hey, give joy to your Creator this Christmas season.  Remember to thank him … from a heart full of joy.