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HE GIVES JOY
(Luke 1:46-55—Preacher: Ps Paw Liang)

The JOY of the Lord is something we RECEIVE, not we take, capture, or catch.   “For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy,” said Elizabeth. The presence of Christ brings joy into our soul. This joy is “divine” and we can’t create or make it. We can only receive it as the gift of Christ. This joy will happen only when the Spirit of Christ is presence in our lives, as can be seen in the testimony of Mary and Elizabeth.

What is Joy?  Joy may come in the form of laughter. But not all laughter will bring joy. Joy is not merely a good feeling. Joy is a serenity deep inside our soul that will not be disturbed by any life storms and  challenges. Joy is more than happiness and optimistic. Joy is not a man-made feeling.  Joy is the assurance that God is in control of every detail of my life. The assurance will calm and still the turbulence in our hearts. Joy is the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright. No matter what happen, we trust God is in control and He is able. Joy is “the determined choice” to praise God is all situation. Such praises may not be always loud but the presence of the joy of Christ will overwhelm us and overflow praises as can be seen in the case of Mary.

How to receive joy? Joy like Jesus Christ is a gift, we need God’s favour just like Mary— the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God (v30). God foresees who will appreciate His gift before He bestows on them. He chose Mary and God makes no wrong choice. And Mary said, “Behold,  I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (v38).  From Mary’s response, two things we can see, first, be open. Mary is willing to give up her own will and plan, including to jeopardize her marriage so she can follow God’s will. Second, Mary is humble. She knows who God is and who she is: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord.” She knows God has the best interest of her. She may not fully understand what Gabriel has told her, but she trusts God and to put her life completely in God’s hands.  How about us? Being Christians or church members will not bring us joy. Only the presence of Christ will give us this divine joy. Check your soul! Is the joy of Christ there? This joy will come only when Christ is present in our life!

A joyful soul is a praising soul. Mary sings, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” When the presence of Christ is in our soul, our heart will always be thankful. The fullness of Christ in us will compel us to break into joy, like Mary. Praises will come out naturally!
Jesus comes to bring us joy. Learn from Mary: be open to receive His GIFT. Be humble to let His Joy stay in your life—so that we can magnify the Lord and rejoice in Christ our Saviour!

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