Let There Be Joy - Day 16

Let There Be Joy
Written By Carol McLeod

They Are Playing Your Song

Shepherds were dirty, uneducated men with grime under their fingernails and sludge in their brains.  There were a group of these shepherds one night, huddled around a fire in the inky, black of night.  These muddy specimens of humanity were cold and shivering while trying to stay awake.  Their only responsibility in life was to keep track of a herd of dumb sheep that were restless, disobedient and lice-infested.

Shepherds were a hopeless crew of men ... with nothing to look forward to knowing that nothing about their lives would ever change.  Life can become quickly pointless if you are a man who lives with sheep drool on his clothes and sheep dung between his toes.

This night … this particular night … was no different from thousands of other dark, cold lonely nights for this woebegone band of brothers.  When the night couldn’t get any blacker and the sheep couldn’t get any more cantankerous, suddenly, in an instant of time, something so miraculous happened that life would never again be the same for them … or for you and me.

Unexpectedly, heaven exploded into their small, cold and dark world.  The song of the angels burst forth into the war zone of earth and proclaimed the joy of heaven into the hopeless and meaningless existence of the shepherds.  Stars were falling and bursting in rare and glorious colors while the heavens opened and a majestic angel choir began to sing a mighty symphony that can still be heard today!

Jesus invaded this dark, cold world with heaven’s joy and it is still His gift to you today.  His presence in your life makes shepherds dance and angels sing.  Your heart can become an explosion of joy because of the birth of a Baby over 2,000 years ago. 

You can receive joy because of Jesus ... you can walk in peace because of this Baby.

The first word that the angels used to describe the birth of Jesus Christ was the word “joy” ... and it should be the first word used to describe you as well!  Joy is the birthmark of a Christian because when you accept Jesus into your heart you are branded for life with His joy.  You have become a vessel of His presence where there is always fullness of joy.

Your life has now become purposeful as you carry the Christ child to this inky, restless world.  The hopelessness of your life has dissipated because you now understand the honor of transmitting the joy of His presence to the muddy specimens of humanity.

The song of the angels was never meant to be heard only by a solitary group of shepherds.  When the angels sang that night, they were singing to those of you with the drool of life upon your heart and the dung of circumstances in your soul. The symphony of heaven ricochets through the ages and has as its focused destination your cold and lonely existence.  Joy truly has come to your world and nothing will ever be the same again!

Bible Reading:  (click on Bible verse to open in reader)

Luke 2:8-11

Let There Be Joy In Me

Plan an evening of singing Christmas Carols this season.  Perhaps you could invite some friends to your home to sing or even go to a nursing home or hospital to sing the great lyrics of the season.

As you sing, let the meaning of the lyrics cleanse the drool and the dung of life that has fallen upon you.

HDonateello, World!

If this devotional has been an encouragement to you, would you consider giving a year-end gift to Just Joy! Ministries this Christmas season?

Subscribe to Carol's Blog by Email

Carol McLeod
Carol says, “I am just a girl who is head over heels in love with Jesus ... passionately addicted to His Word ... and find all of the joy that I need in time spent in His presence." Carol is a Christmas-aholic, loves ACC basketball and the beach! Like all menopausal women, she is overly fond of chocolate and enjoys a good read. She doesn't like cleaning her house and is an expert in carry-out dinners. She hates to shop … loves to jog … and somehow finds time in her busy life to hang out with small children. She is the kind of woman that you could laugh with over lunch, cry with over disappointment and shout with over a victory! But … if you need her official bio … read on! Carol is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. She also hosts highly successful Just Joy! outreaches. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren! Carol has written three books, "Holy Estrogen!", "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart" and "Defiant Joy!" which was released by a subsidiary of Thomas Nelson. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. Carol has also been featured on YouVersion (the smart phone Bible app) with several devotionals, including: "For the Journey Set Before Him", "Jolt of Joy", and "Joy to YOUR world", " Carol has a daily radio program, "Defiant Joy! Radio" which is available in several national markets including Youngsville PA, Warren PA, Buffalo NY, Roanoke VA, Norfolk VA, and Nashville TN.  A 1977 graduate of Oral Roberts University with a degree in Music and English, Carol has the distinction of being both the first Women's Chaplain and the first woman to speak at the university's Vespers.  Carol currently serves on the ORU Alumni Board as chaplain.  She is married to her college sweetheart and love of her life, Craig, who serves as senior pastor of Life Church, a church near Buffalo, NY.  Craig and Carol have been happily married for nearly 37 years and are the parents of five children and three delightful daughters-in-law. Craig and Carol are thrilled with the joy of being grandparents to five precious grandchildren!
Previous

Let There Be Joy - Day 17
Next

Christmas in Ferguson & On the Streets of NYC