Joy is a PersonPrøve

What is Joy? “There is no disaster so disastrous as the disaster of sin and there is no rescue more wonderful than the rescue of grace.” —Paul Tripp Jesus’s coming was to bring joy to the world—joy to you! During his lifetime he turned the world upside down from the normal patterns of living and thinking and offered a new way to live. He taught love and patience in the face of anger and frustration; truth and grace to counter religion and rules, giving over taking, forgiveness over offense, and so much more. He came to offer redemption for sin and to bring the Kingdom of God to earth. At the pinnacle of His own agony on the cross, Jesus’s great desire for you to experience joy became His own joy! “...For the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV). What an unbelievable exchange of joy! He was willing to step down from his Father’s right hand to come into our world and experience heartache, suffering, rejection, betrayal, and loss for you and for me! The salvation Jesus came to offer was to bring you into alignment with His Father, to bridge the separation that sin created. His gift of salvation and willingness to stand in your place as a holy sacrifice transforms you into the person you were created to be: a precious, righteous child of God, full of life, love, and joy, set free from all guilt and shame. From His immense sacrifice Jesus wasn’t hoping for you to have just a tiny bit of joy in your life. His desire was, and is, for you to have fullness of joy—abundant, overflowing, and everlasting. Your ability to experience great joy mattered to Jesus then, and it still does today. Jesus is joy. Joy is a Person! Father, may I always remember the price You paid for me and that it was Your joy to stand in my place. Help me to understand that Your joy in rescuing me is my joy and ability to press through every difficulty. Please rescue me from the things that weigh me down and prevent me from being who You have created me to be. Help me to see myself as You see me: Your favorite, precious child.