Finding Joy In Your Discouragement

Have you ever been to Yellowstone National Park? I’m sure if you haven’t you’ve seen pictures of just hoe beautiful it is. The wildlife is iconic: the bison and bears, the wolves, the eagles and elk, and all sorts of smaller creatures. Then the mountains, of course, are rugged and majestic. So are the waterfalls and rivers.

But there is one thing there that really stands out about Yellowstone, and that’s the geysers. There’s so much geothermal activity there, it’s amazing. The park basically sits on top of a huge super volcano brewing beneath the earth’s surface. And all over the park, this brewing heat works its way to the surface and forces its way through the earth.

I’m sure we all know of probably the most famous of these geysers, Old Faithful. But there are other geysers there in the park as well, like the Grand Prismatic Geyser. It’s the largest hot spring in the U.S., and its kaleidoscope of colors is breathtaking. There are also countless small pools and puddles that bubble and occasionally shoot spouts of super-heated water out into the air.

And then there are the muddy geysers called the mudpots. These are the cauldrons of goo somewhere between liquid and solid. They’re kind of like a big pot of oatmeal simmering on a stove. These geysers burble and burp and boil, releasing bubbles of heat and gas into the air. They come in different colors depending on whatever predominant minerals they hold, and they’ll remind you of lava churning and mixing in the earth.

Now, why am I talking about geysers? Well I want you to think of these geysers as glimpses of joy. See, similar to geysers, joy bubbles and overflows and has to find its way out in some way or another. Sometimes, and for some people, that’s a big bursting eruption like Old Faithful. But other times, joy might be a slow rolling burble. It might even be a little muddy or murky or slower to make its way out. But no matter what’s surrounding it or influencing it,

Joy has its source deep within.

As we look to reorient Christmas this season.

Despite the challenges

Despite the hardships

Despite the pain & difficulties

That we may be experiencing, because

Christ has come to be our Immanuel, God with us,

we can experience joy no matter what discouragement we may be going through.

As we look at the Christmas story it’s har to ignore the fact that there is a lot of joy throughout the story. This morning I want to look at the joy that occurs early on in the Christmas story because this joy isn’t separate from pain and disappointment. Honestly, much of this joy is actually brought out of grief and disappointment. So, this morning I would like to take a look at Luke 1 and I really want to focus on the stories and experiences of Elizabeth and Mary.

So, grab your Bibles and turn to Luke 1. Now, we’re going to be bouncing around throughout this chapter. First let’s look at:

Luke 1:5-7 We notice here in Luke’s account of the Christmas story that it begins a little earlier than with just Mary ans Joseph. It begins with a prophet named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth.

Luke 1:5–7 NIV

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

These couple of verses would have spoken volumes of information to Luke’s original audience. We’ve got Herod, the Roman king keeping the Jews under harsh Roman control. We know that this was difficult times for the Jews. And here we meet Zechariah and Elizabeth, both of priestly lineage. And in a day with a lot of religious corruption and power plays by the Pharisees and Sadducees, Zechariah and Elizabeth are a stark contrast. They are described as righteous, blameless, faithful. And this is especially important in light of what Luke tells us next. Zechariah and Elizabeth are old but have never been able to have children.

That changes suddenly and miraculously when the archangel Gabriel shows up and tells Zechariah that his wife is going to have a son;

A powerful prophetic son who will prepare the way for the coming Messiah.

As you know, Zechariah is so overwhelmed he can hardly believe this news and when he questions the news, the angel says, “OK, here’s your sign. You won’t be able to speak until the child is born.” And the prophet is left writing and signing to everyone to explain what’s happened.

It seems Elizabeth is quicker to believe the news, and when she becomes pregnant, says this in verse 25.

Luke 1:25 NIV

“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

There’s an odd statement if you’d look back to verse 24 that tells us that Elizabeth went into seclusion for the first five months of her pregnancy. Maybe this has something to do with Elizabeth’s disgrace that she mentioned in verse 25. For her, the inability to have children would have been a lifelong source of pain and sorrow and shame. It was a big deal in that culture to have children. Imagine the great hopes of the young couple Elizabeth and Zechariah. That would have eventually faded through the years as they tried repeatedly to have a child. She probably would have questioned herself and probably asked questions of the other women. And they probably would have questioned her—unfairly—casting suspicion or unfounded blame on her. Perhaps there were pregnancies to spark new hope and miscarriages to dash those hopes with grief and loss. Elizabeth’s self-worth probably sunk as the years passed and hope dimmed. At some point, she and everyone around her would have declared Elizabeth barren and branded her with this lifelong stigma.

Maybe that’s why she stayed in seclusion for five months, keeping to herself to let her hope blossom into joy personally. Or to ensure that this pregnancy was indeed going to last. Or maybe she was simply savoring these days on her own terms.

But notice the story continues on, now Elizabeth is six months pregnant and we see the angel Gabriel making another appearance, this time to Mary. But now

Gabriel’s delivering the most miraculous pregnancy announcement of all.

Mary received the news gracefully and willingly, but at some point early on, Mary must have known that her challenges and disgrace were just about to begin. The scorn and shame she would face—and her family and her fiancé as well. This would be tremendous especially when it became obvious she was pregnant and unmarried. How do you make people believe the baby in your womb is God’s Son? Even Joseph couldn’t believe this news at first, and as Matthew’s narrative tells us, Joseph planned to break off their engagement in what would have been a divorce in that culture. Mary’s journey would not be an easy one.

Maybe that is why Luke tells us in verse 39 that Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. She must have heard about her relative Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy. I mean if anyone was to understand it would have to be Elizabeth, right?

This is now where the joy erupts. Against the past environment of discouragement, disgrace, grief, and shame, the joy comes bursting through for these two mothers-to-be.

Look at these next verses Luke 1:41-45

Luke 1:41–45 NIV

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Imagine what a relief this must have been to Mary. She didn’t have to explain herself. She didn’t have to worry anymore about being understood. All she had to do was say hello, and Elizabeth knew. Even her developing baby knew and leaped within her. Think about that it was a fetus that was the first to rejoice at the news of Jesus. This was just the affirmation and encouragement Mary needed.

So much that her joy came bursting through in a song of praise and thanks to God. Now we wont read that here this morning but I do encourage you to read Mary’s song here in verses 46-55.

There’s really 2 things or levels going on in those verses. On the one hand it’s a celebration and connection in the midst of miraculous events. Then on the other, it’s an affirmation and understanding of two expectant mothers fostering the flow of joy, no matter what has happened prior or what may lie ahead.

Now there is a lot that we can take away from this, but I really want to focus on 3 things that apply to our own experience of joy.

1. It’s OK To Be Joyful & Happy

For some of us that’s a no brainer kind of statement. But for others this statement can make you a little uncomfortable. Really, where you fall along that wide spectrum depends on your personal past, and spiritual history.

People often like to describe joy in contrast to happiness. They basically divide it along these lines:

Happiness is fleeting & temporary. Joy is deep & fulfilling.

Often in our Christian culture today these two get split apart into happiness is secular and less valuable. While joy is spiritual and fulfilling. Anybody heard it expressed along those lines?

In all actuality, the Bible doesn’t make any distinction between joy and happiness. They are essentially different words for the same thing. They may have slightly different nuances, but those are often cultural. Now in our English translations these words are obviously translated differently, but in the original Greek & Hebrew the terms for joy & happiness are essentially interchangeable.

There is great joy in the Christmas season, and it’s good to embrace and celebrate that joy. It is certainly hard to find the right balance in our lives to appreciate and experience that joy. But to those of you who find yourselves driven by obligation and busyness and guilt in this season, it’s OK to stop, and say no, and pause and embrace a part of the season that brings you personal happiness. And to those of you who find Christmas to be a painful, difficult season; to those of you who are hurting or grieving personally, feeling discouraged by the season you’ve been going through; and to those of you who are happy to revel in this season—it’s OK to feel and to embrace joy.

God sees you no matter where you are on the emotional spectrum of happiness.

My point here is that:

Our longing for happiness and joy is a natural desire that God has placed within us as a reflection of His own joyful nature.

Whatever term we want to call it, the most important part is our source of joy and happiness. And that leads us onto our second point.

2. Joy Is Our Strength

The story of Nehemiah is a great example of this. If you recall Nehemiah was one of the prophets who got permission from King Artaxerxes to return from exile in Babylon and rebuild Jerusalem, starting with the cities walls.

See this was more than just a return to the physical city, it was a spiritual reawakening for the people. In chapter eight of the book of Nehemiah, he brings all the people together and they bring out the Law of Moses and read it. Nehemiah is calling the people to remember and to return to their relationship with God. As he does this, the people are weeping. Maybe there are some tears of joy from some of the people who remember God’s words from years past, but most of them weep from sadness as they recognize their guilt and drifting away from God.

Listen to what he says here in:

Nehemiah 8:10 NIV

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Celebrate! Enjoy it! Nehemiah says. Why? Because this is a time for happiness that God has brought us back and is restoring our city and our hearts—and because:

Our source of strength is the very joy of the Lord.

It’s what fuels us and sustains us.

Our true source of happiness, joy, and fulfillment comes from Christ. Christmas is a season of joy because the Messiah has brought joy into the world and provided us the way of ultimate fulfillment and life. The Apostle Peter describes it like this:

1 Peter 1:8–9 NIV

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

An inexpressible and glorious joy sounds like some pretty deep stuff, the kind that finds its source even deeper than our pain and sorrow and the problems that can seemingly bury us. It’s a deep well that we draw upon, no matter what we are facing.

Now I’m not suggesting that this is a don’t worry, be happy, put on a make shift smile and fake it kind of joy. Sometimes this joy is a rushing fountain erupting from our spirits, and sometimes it is a thick, slow bubble to the surface. Wherever you find yourself today, let me encourage you that:

The joy of the Lord can be felt no matter what we are facing.

And that leads us to our final point.

3. We Can Choose Joy.

There are a lot of uses of the word rejoice in the Bible. It’s not a word that we use very often in our culture, but I think we should. Rejoice is the verb form of joy. It’s the action of feeling or expressing joy and delight.

And if you look a little more closely at that word, you’ll notice that it begins with the prefix re-. Think back to grammar school or just think of other English words that start with re-, and you’ll re-member that this prefix means once more, or again, or a return to something.

To rejoice is to return to joy.

It’s a choice and it’s an action we can take to return to joy. More importantly it is a return to our source of joy; it’s a return to Jesus.

This is the only way we can find true delight and satisfaction. And the process is the same for all of us, whether we are feeling the happiness and joy of this season or not. Whether we are buried in discouragement, or everything is going our way, none of us can conjure up an unending supply of feel-good happiness all the time, no matter how optimistic, or how positive our natural disposition is. Sooner or later, we all have one of those days, or weeks, or years. And in reality, we all have them way more often than we’d like.

Now this is where the re- comes in. That’s where:

We must return regularly, daily, and constantly to Jesus, our source of joy.

It’s why rejoicing is our process of refueling our tank, restoring our strength, and renewing our spirits.

It’s reconnecting with our Savior.

And it’s in this process that James’s wrote the words in chapter 1:2-4:

James 1:2–4 NIV

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Now I know that sometimes that’s the last thing we want to hear when we’re hurting. Joy can feel so far away when we’re grieving, or depressed, or afraid, as our pain and problems loom. But let me encourage you that James isn’t necessarily saying be happy about our trials and problems. He’s saying we can find joy in them when we see the bigger picture beyond them.

The bigger picture that God is working for our good in every situation. That bigger picture starts at our source in Jesus.

Even in the difficult times there’s much encouragement that can be found in the “rejoices” the book of Psalms. Chapter 13 is a great example, as it begins with a painful cry:

Psalm 13:1 NIV

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

And it ends with this reminder, and declaration:

Psalm 13:5 NIV

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.

This is just one of many examples. The Psalms are honest and raw as the writers pour out their feelings in these prayer-like poems and songs. Then we see them transition through the process of remembering and stirring themselves to rejoice and find strength in and from God. This is where and how we find authentic joy. This is how we can celebrate in this season as we remember and turn to Jesus, who is come to be with us and to give us joy.

So as we reorient Christmas this year by embracing joy, no matter what we’re going through. Let’s remember each day the source of our joy. Let’s seek our happiness, not in the seasonal trappings and traditions around us, but in returning constantly to our source of joy. Let’s choose to continue the process of rejoicing, despite the pain and challenges we are facing. Let’s heed the good news of the angels that will bring great joy to all of us:

A Savior has been born, our Messiah, the Lord, and He will carry us through and complete His work in us no matter what.