A response to Then Came Jesus by Lara Williams

Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” (‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭39-45‬ NKJV)

In her book, Ms. Williams points out the joy in this passage. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice her unborn baby leapt with joy. The coming of Jesus was good news, it was joyous.  In fact, it is still joyous good news, but I still struggle to find joy on a daily basis. I don’t really have much to complain about.  I can’t name anything that robs me of joy.  I just fail to recognize that I do have joy.  I’m your typical tired mom and I let the day-to-dayness of life block my vision to what I have — Christ.

“Joy is Him is us” (p. 11).  If I rely on my circumstances and the people around me to give me joy I will not find.  Jesus is my joy! “He has filled the hungry with good things” (Luke 1:53 NKJV).  Not just the physically hungry but those hungry for joy as well.  He has, not He will.  This is a promise that I must choose to believe, choose claim, and choose to live.

Lord, thank You for filling me with joy!  Thank You that the joy of the Lord does not depend upon my circumstances.  It is completely dependent on You and You alone.  As with Mary, may it be that “my soul (magnify) the Lord, and my spirit (rejoice) in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47 NKJV).  Amen.

Are you reading Then Came Jesus or another advent study?  What is God revealing to you?  Please let me know by leaving a comment.