Joy - when you just don't feel like it.

It was six years ago when I first spied the shepherds' land with my own eyes (though it seems so very much of life has passed). Oh, I had been to Israel before, but large groups do not commonly go into Bethlehem as it can be complicated.*

But in February 2019, the group I led got off the bus and made our way to a paved path leading toward a sweeping, expansive view of the Shepherds' Fields. Even thinking about it now gives me a feeling of awe. As the image indicates, the night when the angel announced the birth of the infant king was dark . . . the land was stark and barren, with several men scattered about looking after the sheep.

Those shepherds would go to their graves talking about that dramatic night. Suddenly out of nowhere, a voice split the silent of the night, announcing, 'Good news of great joy for all people - a Savior is born!' and 'the glory of the Lord shone around them'... what was that like? For sure, the announcement truly was the best news ever.

Joy for all people. I wonder how many times you have already heard "Joy to the World" this season. Even without the lyrics, the tune reminds us that the Lord has come, right? Turns out, it was not written from the pen of a cheery person, though we might easily assume so.

The back story of our favorite Christmas hymn is quite interesting, and if by any chance, you are feeling joy challenged because of brokenness this season, it may be meaningful to you. Isaac Watts, the author, was born in England in 1674. A brilliant mind, he would go on to become a theologian, logician and Congregational minister in London. However, it was not long into his pastoral role that Watts had to delegate a lot of his responsibility for the large church, and then resign because of 'psychiatric illness'. That illness? Depression, profound darkness.

His father, also a brilliant man of deep Christian faith, encouraged him to dig deep and write God-honoring hymns to be sung in the church. So. he. did. Specifically, Watts wrote from the book of Psalms from a Christian perspective--a radical idea at the time. Though the psalms have always been the hymnbook of God's people, all 150 of the psalms were written hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Certainly the coming of Jesus changed perspective of the psalms.

'So, what?!' you ask. 'I thought you were going to say something that would encourage me, something that would perhaps move the needle on my joy meter. I am struggling, though I would really like to experience the joy of Christmas!'

Indeed. While Watts battled depression, he sought the truth of Scripture to inform his thinking, and used his brilliant, creative mind to write from the vast treasure trove of praise and worship found in the psalms--he penned more than 700 hymns. (!)

Clearly, depression did not have the last word in Watts' life. No, he wrote our beloved Christmas hymn, 'Joy to the World, the Lord has come... Let earth receive her King, and heav’n and nature sing... and three more verses, "Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy...

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...

He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love . . . "

It really got my attention that Watts, though depressed, went to what he knew to be rock solid--the Word of God. It did not matter how he felt, though the writers of the psalms expressed every emotion, describing their feelings--every high and low place he had experienced. Isaac Watts studied them and wrote great songs that we still sing today. We would not have "Joy to the World" had it not been for Isaac Watts' determined choice to honor God even though he was too depressed to lead his church. Hmmm.

Are you struggling this Christmas season for some reason or another? I am sorry.

But God knows just how you are feeling, just what you are up against.

God knows every thought racing through your mind and well,

his announcement 2000 plus years ago of a Savior who came for all the people means he came for you too. . . to bring you joy right now-

totally independent of how you are feeling or what you are up against.

The joy is of the Savior who came for you.

The beautiful old song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9khIH8fWPug

Joy is something we know and realize through Christ . . .

it is not an emotion.

Christine

PastorWoman.net

* - Bethlehem is considered West Bank, therefore Palestinian territory. Israelis are forbidden to enter.