December 1, 2012 Joy

Joy Luke 15:3-7 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. WHAT is joy? Sometimes joy is difficult to define because it has so many different forms. To one person joy could mean a gentle hug. To another joy is the grand celebration of a graduation. Joy is a mother’s response to holding her newborn baby. The Bible generally speaks of joy as an ecstatic response to a person or circumstances in one’s life. This passage from Luke 15 tells of how a good shepherd rejoices at finding one lost sheep. Read the entire chapter, and you’ll see joy also comes at the discovery of a lost coin and at the return of the prodigal son to his father. Jesus’ teachings on joy point to the discovery of a lost sheep, lost coin and a lost son. He designs his lessons to help you understand how profoundly God desires you go to him. Think of this: God is ecstatic when you come to him! He longs for your presence. He looks for your return as you are lost in a sinful land. He celebrates when you return. God expresses joy when you go home to him. It’s True! Your God is passionate for every person – you’re included.