photo by lyza danger
I remember as a child one Christmas driving through the night to my grandparents house. I was star gazing when I was supposed to be sleeping. Who could blame me? As a child Christmas seemed full of wonder. As I sleepily leaned against the door, looking at the stars as we sped along the highway I remember trying to find the brightest star–the star the wise men followed.
Star of wonder, star of night
Star of royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to Thy perfect Light.
With wonder comes a sense of perfecting joy. It’s the anticipation and excitement that comes when you know you’re witnessing something wonderful. It’s the look of the shepherds as the dark night shone with angels and the proclamation of a King’s birth was sung out among the stars.
Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled
With hope comes the promise of joy–the reconciliation between God and man, the assurance of salvation, the security of being His chosen people. “Restore to me the joy of your salvation…(Ps. 51:12)”
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground,
He comes to make His blessings flow,
Far as the curse is found
Joy has been on my mind lately. It’s that longing for satisfaction and joy itself that I’ve been, well, longing for. Knowing that the salvation Christ brought should be reason enough for my joy, I rarely feel that overflowing expression of joy that I know should focus and captivate my heart. But I want it. I’ve been meditating on joy from a few verses in Psalms “…in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11) and “…you make him glad with the joy of your presence” (Ps. 21:6).
What’s struck me is the fullness in the Hebrew words. In both Psalm 16:11 and 21:6, the word presence (paniym) is face. It’s not just standing before God that there is fullness of joy, but in His face. It brings the picture of staring into God’s face, not simply seeing him from afar, but looking intently into His smiling face and being satisfied. The fullness of the joy of the Lord, soba’, is “the condition of being full or gratified beyond the point of satisfaction.”
I wonder how often I have been so full of joy that it is beyond satisfying? And to think, this is to be my natural state…it’s something to be in awe of.
And this joy, this inexpressible and glorious joy, (simchah) is described as mirth–”gladness or gaiety as shown by or accompanied by laughter.” Laugh out loud joy. That’s what Christmas should bring, what Christ should bring for us.
So as the angels herald the newborn King, presents lay waiting to be opened, and someone’s toes may very well be stepped on at Christmas dinner (both figuratively and literally), our hearts should be ready to receive our King with joy overflowing staring in the face of our Lord and Savior.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
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