envelop spinner search close plus arrow-right arrow-left facebook twitter

Detecting Christmas December 27 Devotional

by David Joynt on December 27, 2023


1 john 1:4 | 4 We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

 

Luke 2:10 | 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.

 

The community God begins to create at Christmas is joyous. It is a place where there is a lot of celebration, a lot of music created and sung. There is beauty and harmony and soaring emotions in worship. There is the joy of being part of a great project, a world-wide renewal, that includes history’s most varied company of ethnicities, races, and cultures. There is the joy of progress. Spurred by the commands and example of Christ, encouraged by mentors, we overcome the issues and habits that inhibit us, and experience a greater freedom to love and share. There is the joy of seeing God at work in others’ lives. Their healing or recovery is an exciting blessing to everyone else. Their ability to use individual gifts for the greater good a shared triumph. There is the joy of hope for a life beyond life, that sustains us under trial and in the midst of tragedy.

 

Which of these joys makes you smile today?

 

 

Gracious God,

Help me experience the great joy of life with you in your Kingdom community. Amen.

 

About the Author
David Joynt

Dave Joynt began his service as a pastor at Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley, Arizona in September 2014. This meant a move away from the Northeast, where he has a long history, growing up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and then serving congregations in Delaware and New Jersey for a total of 23 years.

Dave was nurtured in a great church in Bethlehem where his parents, Anne and Carey, served as elders. He graduated in classics from Lehigh University where his Father taught, and then from Oxford, where he met his wife Julia. Ordained in 1988, he completed a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1993.

He and Julia have a son, Tristan, and a daughter, Madeleine.

More from Pastor Joynts Devotionals

return to Pastor Joynts Devotionals