Luke 2:10-11
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
For a weary soul, often the gospel doesn’t sound joyful. It just sounds like news, or information, or maybe even like an obligation. And even if it is good news, it doesn’t engender joy. To a weary person, joy sounds unattainable. Joy is something that other people have but not us.
But joy in the Bible is not circumstantial. It is something we pursue and attain, and we are commanded and called to do so throughout scripture–because it has a substance, a reality we can hold on to. It isn’t a feeling (although it shapes our feelings). It’s a conviction! So when the angel says “I bring you good news of great joy” he isn’t hoping we like it. He is promising access to joy. He is saying “This good news, this gospel, is how you gain joy.” And not just joy–great joy. The good news of Jesus the Savior and Messiah is the source of our joy and where joy is located. This means trusting in Jesus, believing in Jesus, drawing close to Jesus is where the remedy to weariness is found.
Because, yes, joy is the remedy to weariness. We don’t find a way out of our soul’s weariness so we can find joy. Clinging to Christ, pursuing Christ, believing Christ, looking to Christ is how our weariness lifts. Why? Because “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) It is our spiritual power to persevere, to lift our heads, to walk by faith despite our weariness. It is not a high or a shot or a boost. It is the state of a soul that rests fully in the good news of a real, ruling, rescuing Jesus.
I originally wrote this post for my church, Immanuel Nashville, in our Daily Pulse email. If you want encouragement from God’s word delivered Monday thru Friday to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe.