Joy to the World!!

"Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!" – Philippians 4:4

YAY!! It's December now, which means, Christmas season if officially ON, and in full swing!! Joy to the world!! Hmm…wait a minute….Joy to the world? Joy? What is that? What is Joy? Is it just a feeling? Is it just an outward expression? Is it just a dish soap? Well, that's the Virtue we are going to be talking about this month in Cove Kids! Together, we are going to learn that Joy isn't just a feeling or expression (or an awesome dish soap). Feelings are circumstantial, but Joy is something much deeper than that. Joy is finding a way to be happy at ALL times, even when things don't go your way, a "Defiant Happiness" if you will. Knowing that no matter what, we have a God and Savior who loves us, protects us, fights for us, and works good in all things for us. So, even if things aren't going the way WE thought they should, or would like them to, we can have Joy in Christ.

This week in Cove Kids we are learning about the Joy that comes with knowing that God always keeps His promises! The Bible says "The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. – Psalms 145:13. The story this week takes place in Luke Chapter 1, and it's about a very godly couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth. One day, Zechariah got a visit from an angel of God, who promised him a son, who he was to name John. The thing was, Zechariah was an old man and his wife well along in her years when this happened, so he momentarily doubted God's promise. The Angel Gabriel assured Zechariah that this good news was straight from God and would surely come true at the proper time. But because of his brief moment of unbelief, he would not be able to speak until that day came. Well, as it turns out, God was faithful in his promise! Elizabeth gave birth to a boy, and they named him John. And he would later prepare the way for the Messiah, another promise God would keep, over 400 years in the making!

It's not always easy to have Joy. Sometimes when difficult circumstances come, it can be hard to have a defiant happiness. Especially when we have to wait, when things don't happen when we wish they would. When everyone else seems to have it together, and it seems like everything in your life is constantly falling apart, it can be tough to find Joy. BUT!!! We CAN have Joy, because we know that God always keeps his promises!!! "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ." – 2 Corinthians 1:20. And even though the wait for God's promises may seem long at times, "…wait, It's on its way. It will come right on time!" – Habakkuk 2:3.

Joy to the world!!! The Lord HAS come!!! :D