Christmas time’s a-comin’! Do you have your stockings stocked and your tree trimmed? I love this holiday because every Christmas is an open invitation from God to every person on planet earth to experience hope, peace, joy, and love through Christ Jesus. We’re thinking on these blessings this week, and today we’ll focus on joy.

The Holy Spirit said in 1 Peter 1:8, “Though you do not now see [Jesus], you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible.

You know, while we’ve never laid eyes on Jesus, each Christmas is a reminder that many did see him in his first coming. They saw him as the babe in the manger. After he grew, they saw him as the teacher and the healer. Toward the end of his ministry, they saw him as the one dying on the cross. And glory to God, three days later they saw him as the resurrected one on that first Easter morning.

Don’t you wish that you could have seen him? Well, even if he’s not right here in front of our eyes, we can rejoice with inexpressible joy in Him because He lives to bless us. He has saved our souls, leads our life through the gift of the Holy Spirit, and has given us victory over every one of our enemies, especially the enemy of death. There is great joy in Jesus!

And just as people once saw him, we will see him when he comes again. Words can’t express how joyful that joy will be when our faith will be sight.

Merry CHRIST-mas!

Change begins in you!