Christ Our Shepherd Advent Devotion Series 2025
Traditional Tuesday
December 16, 2025
Pastor Wes
JOY
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!”
Philippians 4:4
This week we light the candle of JOY. Unlike momentary happiness, joy is rooted in God’s enduring faithfulness. As we move forward in this sacred season, we are called to slow down and be attentive to the ways God is already at work, renewing, restoring, and sustaining us.
Paul’s invitation to rejoice is remarkable. He writes these words from prison, reminding us that joy is not dependent upon circumstances. Joy springs from the unshakeable truth that Christ is present with us in every moment.
This is why the hymn Joy to the World speaks so powerfully to this season. Though we often sing it triumphantly as the final hymn on Christmas Eve, it was not originally written as a Christmas carol. It was penned in 1719 by Isaac Watts as a poetic paraphrase of Psalm 98, celebrating not the birth of Jesus, but the victorious return of Christ at the end of the age. The hymn proclaims the joy of Christ’s second coming, the day when creation is healed, injustice is overturned, and Christ reigns in fullness.
In other words, Joy to the World is a hymn of consummation, of completion, of new creation. It gives voice to the same conviction we’ve reflected upon this season, that Christ’s coming disrupts our expectations and fills us with hope for God’s future.
Joy, therefore, is not passive. It is an act of faith. It refuses despair and affirms the promise that Christ has come, Christ is present, and Christ will come again.
God of all Joy, anchor our hearts in your promises. Teach us to rejoice not because life is easy, but because you are faithful. May your joy take root in us and overflow through us, that we may bear witness to your redeeming work in the world. Amen.