Gods Promises Still Stand - Joy in Fulfillment

Devotional

Day 1: Joy that sings in the face of danger

Mary rejoiced even when the future looked dangerous and misunderstood. She chose to magnify the Lord rather than magnify the voices around her. You can do the same—lifting God higher than fear, gossip, and uncertainty. Joy is not denial; it is confidence that God sees, saves, and sustains. Today, let your soul glorify the Lord right where risk feels real. [39:39]

Luke 1:46–47 — Mary said, “My whole being lifts up the Lord, and from deep within I celebrate in God, my Rescuer.”

Reflection: Where are you tempted to let other people’s opinions silence your obedience, and what is one concrete way you will “magnify the Lord” in that place this week?

Day 2: Good news that causes great joy for all people

The angel did not say, “Try harder to feel joyful.” Heaven declared, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy.” The gospel itself is the source and cause—Jesus has come, the Savior and Messiah, for all people. You can let that announcement outrun fear and set the tone of your day. Start today by receiving the news before you receive the noise. [41:12]

Luke 2:8–14 — Shepherds were guarding their sheep at night when an angel surrounded them with God’s brightness. “Don’t be afraid,” the messenger said, “I’m announcing news that births great joy for everyone: today in David’s town a Savior—the Messiah—has been born to you. You’ll find a baby wrapped up and lying in a feeding trough.” Then heaven’s armies praised God: “Glory to God above, and peace on earth to those resting in His favor.”

Reflection: What headline or notification most often sets your mood in the morning, and how will you let the angel’s “Do not be afraid…great joy” be the first voice you hear tomorrow?

Day 3: Spirit-led waiting that sees salvation

Simeon and Anna show that waiting with the Holy Spirit is not empty; it is expectant, alert, and full of worship. In God’s timing, their eyes saw what their hearts had long carried—a Savior prepared for all nations. Quiet faithfulness was the doorway to overwhelming joy. Your waiting is not wasted when it is saturated with prayer, Scripture, and obedience. Keep showing up; God keeps His promises. [44:03]

Luke 2:25–32 — A righteous, devout man named Simeon, led by the Spirit, took the child Jesus in his arms and thanked God: “Master, You can release me in peace as You promised, because my eyes have seen Your salvation, prepared for everyone—a light that unveils You to the nations and the glory of Your people Israel.”

Reflection: Where is God inviting you to wait with Him, and what small daily practice (like a set prayer time or simple fast) will keep your heart attentive in that place?

Day 4: Learning to discern eternal joy from temporary

Some joys dazzle for a moment and then drain us; others deepen and endure. Jesus invites you onto the “highway of holiness,” a way where the redeemed walk and everlasting joy crowns their heads. This road trains your heart to prefer what lasts over what merely flashes. Ask the Spirit to sharpen your discernment between the eternal and the temporary. Choose the way that leads to singing, not sighing. [54:39]

Isaiah 35:8–10 — A roadway will appear—the Way of Holiness—where only the cleansed travel; predators and pitfalls won’t haunt it, but the rescued will walk there. Those the Lord brings back will enter Zion with songs; unending joy will rest on them. Gladness will overtake them, and sorrow and groaning will run away.

Reflection: What is one “quick hit” pleasure that consistently leaves you emptier, and what boundary and holy practice will you put in its place this week to walk the Way of Holiness?

Day 5: Joy anchored in heaven and ready for His return

Jesus gives joy that the enemy cannot steal: your name written in heaven. He endured the cross “for the joy set before Him,” and He will return to complete our joy. Until that day, rejoice in what cannot be dented by circumstances and live ready. Let heaven’s certainty shape earth’s choices—today. Anticipate, adjust, and anchor your heart in what lasts forever. [01:07:00]

Luke 10:20–21 — “Don’t celebrate that spirits bow to you,” Jesus said, “but celebrate that your names are recorded in heaven.” In that moment, filled with joy through the Holy Spirit, He prayed, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise You for revealing these things to the childlike.”

Reflection: If Jesus came today, what one specific adjustment would help your joy rest more in heaven’s record than in today’s results—and how will you begin that adjustment before the day ends?

Sermon Summary

Joy is not a seasonal mood but the eternal fruit of God’s fulfilled promise in Jesus. Mary rejoiced even while facing real danger, embracing God’s word above public shame and risk. The angels announced not vague positivity but specific news that produces great joy: the long-awaited Messiah has come. In the temple, Simeon held the Child and saw salvation prepared for all nations, while Anna’s long faithfulness flowered into praise and witness. Joy here is not denial of pain; it is the presence of a Person whose arrival anchors the soul.

Joy involves feelings, but it is more than a surge; it is sustained by truth. Earthly joys fade—the new car dents, the toy drains its batteries, teams win and lose, and secret habits promise a high but end in shame. Scripture calls believers onto the highway of holiness where everlasting joy crowns the redeemed. This is not stoicism; it is reordering the heart so that pleasures serve worship rather than replace it.

Jesus’ birth fulfills the redemptive promise: He will save His people from their sins. Life with Him is the only way to eternal joy, because only He breaks the thief’s cycle of stealing, killing, and destroying. Even ministry victories are not the center—names written in heaven are. Christ Himself went to the cross “for the joy set before Him,” proving that joy is purchased, not pretended, and secured by resurrection life.

The call is to discernment: to name the difference between eternal and temporary joys, to shepherd our children and our own habits, and to step onto holiness’ road where sorrow and sighing flee. Anticipation matters too. As Israel awaited the first coming, the church awaits His return with readiness and hope. When He comes, the enemy’s defeat is final and our joy is complete. Until that day, surrender to Christ, be filled with the Spirit, and walk in the good news that still causes great joy.

Key Takeaways

1. Joy begins with fulfilled promise Joy is not manufactured by effort; it arises from hearing and trusting what God has done in Christ. The angels didn’t urge people to “feel better”; they announced news that creates joy. When the gospel is received, joy follows because the cause precedes the effect. The right source creates the right sensation. [40:26]
2. Learn to discern your joys Not all joy is equal. Some pleasures evaporate and leave the soul emptier than before; others anchor life in God’s presence. Scripture trains the heart to prefer holiness’ highway, where joy outlasts circumstances and the enemy has no foothold. Practicing discernment protects the future from today’s impulses. [56:42]
3. Rejoice in salvation, not power Spiritual success is good, but it is not the ground of joy. Jesus redirects His disciples to the deeper center: a secured name in heaven. Identity in Christ is steadier than outcomes in ministry, because grace holds when results fluctuate. Resting here guards the heart from pride and despair alike. [63:38]
4. Live ready for the returning King Christian joy stretches forward; it is eschatological hope lived now. Anticipating Christ’s return reorders priorities, sobers the mind, and sweetens endurance. Readiness is not anxiety but alignment—a life adjusted to the coming glory that will finish what grace began. [67:00]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[37:55] - Mary’s joy amid danger
[39:54] - Angels proclaim good news
[41:34] - Simeon’s prophecy in the temple
[42:37] - Anna’s faithful witness
[44:43] - What is joy? Feelings framed
[50:07] - Good news versus bad news
[51:29] - He will save from sins
[53:35] - Highway of holiness, everlasting joy
[56:42] - Discern eternal versus temporary joy
[62:32] - Jesus lived, died, rose for joy
[63:17] - Rejoice—names written in heaven
[67:00] - Awaiting Christ’s return in hope
[71:33] - Call to surrender and prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

- Luke 2:8-14

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

- Luke 2:22-38

When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

- Hebrews 12:2

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Observation questions

In Luke 2:10-11, what exactly is the “good news,” what effect does it produce, and who is it for?
In Luke 2:25-32, what had been revealed to Simeon, and how does he describe what his eyes are seeing? For whom has God prepared this salvation?
According to Luke 2:36-38, what long-term patterns marked Anna’s life, and how did she respond when she saw the Child?
Hebrews 12:2 says Jesus endured the cross “for the joy set before him.” What did He do because of that joy, and where is He now? How does that clarify what joy is and isn’t?

Interpretation questions

If the angel’s announcement “causes great joy,” what does that say about the source of lasting joy—does it begin with effort or with news received? [41:12]
Simeon calls Jesus “salvation” prepared “in the sight of all nations” (Luke 2:30-32). What does that teach about who God intends to include in this joy, and how should that shape how one treats outsiders?
Anna’s decades of worship, fasting, and prayer (Luke 2:36-38) flower into immediate praise and witness. What does this suggest about the relationship between long obedience and durable joy?
Hebrews 12:2 frames the cross as endured “for the joy set before him.” How does joy relate to suffering here—escape from pain, denial of pain, or something deeper that can carry a person through pain?

Application questions

Practice discernment: List two or three things that gave you a “joy surge” this past week. Which of them are likely temporary joys, and which are rooted in God’s promises? What helps you tell the difference day-to-day? [56:42]
Guard your inputs: Where are you most vulnerable to “hooks” that promise a quick high—sports, betting, scrolling, impulse buys? What’s one simple boundary you can set this week to protect your heart? [59:55]
Name and bring secrets into the light: Are there any hidden habits (online or otherwise) that steal joy and leave shame in their wake? What next step—confession, accountability, filtered tech, counseling—would help you choose freedom? [01:01:30]
Re-center your joy: When have you measured your joy by outcomes—success, results, power, wins? How can you re-anchor joy this week in this truth: “Rejoice that your name is written in heaven”? [01:03:38]
Live ready: If Jesus returned today, what one adjustment would He ask you to make? What would it look like to make that adjustment this week—calendar, budget, habits, relationships? [01:07:24]
Walk the highway of holiness: What is one practice that helps you stay on that road—Scripture, prayer, Sabbath, confession, serving? What is one distraction you need to step off to keep walking with Jesus? [53:35]
Joy amid risk: Where is God inviting you to obey Him even if it brings misunderstanding or criticism? What would it look like to “rejoice in God your Savior” there, like Mary did? [39:39]

Sermon Clips

Fellowship is awesome, isn't it? In heaven, we have eternity to hang around with each other. Isn't that going to be fun? I can't wait. Matter of fact, I'd go today if he calls. How about that? All right, if you have your Bibles, today we're in the last part of this series, Fulfilled Promises. And I get joy. I got that one over there at the end of the series. All right, so we're going to read in Luke, chapter 1 and chapter 2 to begin. All right, and think about this. When Jesus came, he made it possible for us to experience joy eternally. Not for a moment, but for eternity. [00:37:27] (48 seconds) #EternalFellowshipJoy

Has the Holy Spirit ever told you something in a moment when you were reading Scripture? I've never seen this before, and I've read this over and over for 30 years. And it says she was a widow until she was 84, and then she saw Jesus because she was part of the bride of Christ. And she was probably wondering what it would be like to have a husband again, and now she met this little baby that was going to make her the bride. How powerful. [00:44:03] (36 seconds) #HolySpiritRevealsHope

I don't know if anybody's watching the news today, but when you tune into the news today, it doesn't always cause me joy. And so I really don't try to watch it. I don't want to watch it. But on that first Christmas, the news that night when it was dark and the angels lit up the sky, they said, I bring you good news, the gospel, and it will cause joy in you. [00:50:37] (33 seconds) #GoodNewsBringsJoy

Your next point this morning, life with Jesus is the only way to have eternal joy. I am here to tell you that there are things in this world that will make you joyful, happy, gleeful for a while and it'll wear off. I only bought one new car in my life. When I got it home, my dad said, take a hammer, put a dent in the front fender. I said, Dad, you're crazy. He said, it's going to happen. Do it yourself. Then you don't have to worry about it anymore. He knows how to ruin a good day when you get a new car. [00:52:45] (43 seconds) #EternalJoyNotTemporary

It's on God's highway of holiness, and we need to preach it, and we need to live it, and we need to experience it. The joy I felt when my wife called me that day has lasted for 55 years. We've been married for 49 years. It took me six years to talk her into marrying me. She was very discerning, and that joy lasts, and I look forward to it. I'm going to love her for eternity. She's my sister in Christ. [00:55:57] (44 seconds) #HolinessAndEverlastingLove

Now, my dad sports, he never watched sports. He said it's just all, you know, money and stuff and betting. He told me that when I was a little child. But when he would go to my uncle's house, he would say, did a Cubs win or lose today? I said, Dad, you don't care. He said, I just want to know if your uncle will be happy tonight or sad. Because my uncle was a great Cubs fan. See, that's temporary joy. [01:00:34] (37 seconds) #TemporarySportsJoy

Jesus is going to call one day. The archangel is going to shout. The trumpet of God is going to sound. The older I get, I wake up every morning going, Lord, it's today the day. Are you going to come back, or are you just going to come and get me? And am I ready? I challenge you to sit down today and say, Lord, am I ready? You need to make any adjustments before we meet. [01:07:00] (39 seconds) #ReadyForHisCall

You see, when the angel came to Mary, all the people were waiting. They were anticipating the Messiah. In that same way today, we should be anticipating that Jesus is going to fulfill that promise that he was going to come back and that he wanted us to be where he is eternally. And that is the source of our eternal joy. [01:07:39] (32 seconds) #AwaitTheMessiah

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