Joy is Coming | In the Waiting

Devotional

Day 1: Joy Arrives: Jesus Draws Near and Dwells With Us

Advent is a season of waiting, but not empty waiting; it is remembering that God came close in Jesus. He did not stay far off; he became human, entered our world, and brought with him the good news that awakens joy. Where his presence is, joy takes root—not as a fragile mood, but as a steady warmth in the soul. Today you can welcome him again, right where you are, and let his nearness brighten the cold corners of your heart. Receive the arrival of joy, for the Lord is come and with you now [28:42].

Luke 2:10–11 — The messenger said, “Set aside your fear; I’m announcing news that will overflow into joy for everyone. Today in David’s town, a Deliverer has arrived—the long-promised King and true Lord—born for you.”

Reflection: Where in your daily routine will you consciously invite Jesus’ presence this week, and how might that change the tone of that moment?

Day 2: A Joy No One Can Steal

Jesus prepared his friends for sorrow, knowing the cross would scatter them in tears. He also promised that their grief would give way, like labor pains turning into delight when a child is born. After the resurrection, that promise proved true, and it still frames our hope today. There is a kind of joy rooted in seeing the risen Christ—deep enough that people or circumstances can’t pry it away. You can name the thieves of joy, but you don’t have to hand them the keys. Hold fast to the joy secured by his victory, and let its quiet strength steady you [47:16].

John 16:20–22 — You will weep while the world throws a party, but your sorrow will be flipped into joy. Like a mother whose pain is swallowed up when the baby arrives, your anguish will give way. For now you’re sad, but I will see you again; then your joy will be solid, and no one will be able to take it from you.

Reflection: What specific situation has been holding your joy hostage, and what would it look like to hand that situation back to Jesus today?

Day 3: Defiant Joy in Trials and Loss

Christian joy is not denial; it is courageous remembrance. We carry real grief, but we carry it with One who lifts the weight, so we are not crushed. Joy stands up in the dark and whispers, “God is still good, still present, still working.” Even when resources are thin and outcomes are uncertain, we can rejoice in the God who saves and will make all things new. This is defiance against despair, anchored in resurrection hope [45:20].

Habakkuk 3:17–18 — Though the trees don’t bud, the vines bear no fruit, the fields produce nothing, and the pens are empty, I will still celebrate the Lord; I will find joy in the God who rescues me.

Reflection: Name one hardship you face right now; what single-sentence declaration of trust could you speak each morning over it this week?

Day 4: Practice Joy: Remember Before the Day Begins

“Act like you have joy” does not mean pretending; it means pausing to remember until joy rises. Give God ten quiet minutes before your day: rehearse who Jesus is, what he has done, and why mercy has met you again. Gratitude warms the heart; soon your face, words, and responses begin to align with the joy taking shape within. You will still leak, so return daily to be filled, and then walk into your responsibilities from overflow. Start the day remembering, and let remembered truth shape lived joy [56:48].

Philippians 4:4 — Keep choosing your joy in the Lord at all times; I’ll repeat myself: keep on rejoicing in him.

Reflection: When and where will you set aside ten minutes tomorrow, and which two specific truths about Jesus will you rehearse in that time?

Day 5: Joy to the World: The Lord Is Come

Joy is not something you must chase; by the Spirit, Joy himself has made his home in you. The same power that raised Jesus is at work within you, lifting your perspective and supplying strength you lack. He has promised never to abandon you; even in weakness, his presence is your steady gladness. Live today as one indwelt and accompanied; practice a quiet “with-God” awareness as you work, rest, and love. Let the joy of the Lord be your strength as you step into your world, for he is with you now [59:53].

Romans 8:11 — If the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, that same Spirit breathes life into your mortal body and energizes you with his resurrection power.

Reflection: What ordinary task or conversation today could you approach differently if you truly believed the risen Christ, by his Spirit, was empowering you from within?

Sermon Summary

Advent reminds us that Jesus has come, Jesus is here, and Jesus will come again. We lit the candle of joy because joy is not a seasonal mood or fragile feeling; it’s the fruit of Jesus’ nearness. I walked us through Luke 2—“good news that brings great joy”—and then into John 16, where Jesus looks his friends in the eye and says, “You will see me again… and no one can rob you of that joy.” That line has gripped me. There is a resurrection-sized joy available that circumstances, people, even death itself, cannot steal.

I named the thieves: fear about the future, tight finances, fractured relationships, grief, and the ever-present parasite of comparison. Scripture doesn’t ignore that pain; it commands joy precisely because God knows we’ll face it. Joy doesn’t deny sorrow; it keeps sorrow from crushing us. Think of Jesus’ metaphor of childbirth—anguish gives way to joy. That’s resurrection logic woven into everyday life.

So how do we actually live this? Not by pretending. By remembering. Take ten quiet minutes and rehearse what’s true: Jesus is risen; his Spirit lives in you; his promises stand; your identity is secure; mercy is new this morning. Joy grows where remembrance lives. From that place, we act like people who have joy—not as hypocrites, but as those who have done the heart-work before the day begins. Joy becomes holy defiance: against darkness, against despair, against the lie that this moment is final. The worst thing the world can do—death—has been turned into a doorway. So the joy of the Lord becomes our strength.

I asked us to be honest: Do you have joy? If not, what’s robbing it? Name it, and then stop surrendering your agency to it. Your joy is your job—because your joy is rooted in Jesus, not in outcomes. And when we sing, even “Joy to the World,” we sing in the present tense on purpose: “the Lord is come.” Not just then, not just someday—now. He is here. That’s why we give, why we pray, why we celebrate salvations, and why we smile even through tears. Jesus is alive, and because of that, nothing and no one can rob us of enduring joy.

Key Takeaways

1. Resurrection joy no one can steal This is not optimism; it’s anchored reality. Jesus told his disciples their sorrow would turn to joy, and he grounded it in his resurrection. When we “see” the risen Christ—by faith today and face-to-face someday—our joy gains a foundation deeper than circumstances. No person or event gets the final word over what Easter already secured. [47:16]
2. Practice remembering until joy rises Joy grows where gratitude and remembrance live. Start your day rehearsing who God is, what he’s done, and what he’s promised; let your heart catch up to the truth. Then you’re not faking joy—you’re living from it. This simple habit strengthens your soul for whatever the day brings. [57:22]
3. Name and confront joy thieves Fear, comparison, strained relationships, and grief silently siphon joy if we don’t name them. When we identify the thief, we regain holy agency: we can bring it to Jesus, set boundaries, and re-center on truth. Joy becomes a choice to trust a larger story than the one our pain is telling. [49:47]
4. Joy carries grief, not denies it Christian joy doesn’t pretend we’re fine; it prevents our sorrow from flattening us. We lament honestly while holding resurrection hope stubbornly. In that tension, we experience Jesus shouldering our burdens and renewing our strength. Joy becomes a durable friend in the dark. [64:22]
5. The joy of the Lord strengthens Joy is more than a feeling; it’s fuel. As we reframe our lives through God’s faithfulness, fear shrinks and courage grows. This is how we endure, give generously, and keep singing: our strength comes from delighting in the God who keeps his word. [63:41]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:42] - Advent: Hope, Peace, Joy
[33:38] - What does joy look like?
[37:01] - Joy of generosity: 250 gifts
[40:42] - Good news of great joy (Luke 2)
[42:23] - John 16: Sorrow turns to joy
[45:20] - Labor pains: anguish gives way
[47:08] - No one can rob your joy
[49:47] - Naming the thieves: comparison, fear
[50:50] - Rejoice in trials: a command
[54:12] - Act like you have joy
[58:37] - Resurrection and Spirit within us
[61:29] - Perspective: God’s strength and hope
[64:22] - Joy as holy defiance
[71:48] - Celebrate new life and sing

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- John 16:16-22

Observation questions

What future event does Jesus predict in John 16:16-22, and how do his words move from mourning to joy? [43:14]
What image does Jesus use to describe sorrow turning to joy, and what details of that image stand out for where joy comes from? [46:02]
Jesus says, “no one can rob you of that joy.” What claim about the nature or source of joy does that statement make? [47:49]

Interpretation questions

When Jesus promises that sorrow will “suddenly be turned to wonderful joy,” what does that suggest about the relationship between present suffering and future hope? [45:20]
If the joy Jesus offers cannot be stolen, what does that imply about the difference between worldly comfort and resurrection-based joy? [48:31]
Why might Jesus use the childbirth metaphor (anguish giving way to joy) rather than a simpler promise? What does that choice teach about how joy is formed in real life? [46:22]
How does the idea that the Spirit raised Jesus from the dead and dwells in believers shape the claim that joy can be an enduring strength? [01:00:08]

Application questions

Take ten quiet minutes tomorrow morning to rehearse truths about Jesus (his resurrection, Spirit within you, his promises). Describe specifically what you will remember in those ten minutes and how you expect it to change your day. [57:22]
Name one “joy thief” currently affecting you (fear about the future, tight finances, a fractured relationship, grief, comparison, etc.). What concrete next step will you take this week to name, hand over, or set a boundary around that thief? [49:47]
The command to rejoice appears often in Scripture. What small, repeatable practice could you adopt so remembrance (not pretending) becomes the default response when sorrow arrives? (Be specific: time, place, words, person to call, a psalm to read.) [57:58]
The Bible calls joy “strength.” Where in your current circumstances would you like joy to be your strength (work, parenting, loss, finances)? What will you do this week to lean on that truth rather than on your feelings? [01:03:41]
When grief or disappointment feels overwhelming, what concrete way will you hold both lament and resurrection hope together so sorrow is carried but not crushing? Give one practical example (a lament prayer you will say, someone you will meet with, a memorial practice). [01:04:22]
Jesus told his friends to “act like you have joy” by preparing their hearts first. What would “acting like you have joy” look like this week in your home, workplace, or social circle? Name one action you will take. [54:35]
Who can you invite to share the gift of joy with you this season (someone to pray with, serve with, or encourage)? Commit to contacting that person and describe when and how you will do it. [37:01]

Sermon Clips

82s

#UnshakableJoy

“You will see me again, and you will have great joy. And then this last line. This is it. And no one can rob you of that joy. Jesus is saying there is a joy that is available to us that no one and no circumstance should ever be able to take away from you. There's a kind of joy that you shouldn't be able, nothing should be able to rob you of joy. And so I'm starting, I'm learning even this week of like, okay, so there is a joy that it can't be taken away. There is a joy that should remain. There is a joy that should stay within us.”

44s

#DefiantJoy

“Instead, Jesus carries them. And resurrection joy then for me, and this was the new thought, joy is this. It's defiance, it's defiance, mostly. I think of joy as like, woo! Joy most of the time is defiance. Defiance of the darkness. Evil will not win. Defiance in the face of death. You do not have the last word. Defiance in the face of your depression. This will not keep me down. Defiance in the face of your despair. I just don't know. No, I know a God who's living and reigning. It's defiance in telling yourself, I can't have the strength of the Lord. The Lord is my strength.”

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Joy is Coming | In the Waiting | 10:30AM