Ask the Lord to show you the glory of His plan to save people from every nation. Ask that you might know the Lord’s very joy in you and that your joy may be full.
Read Isaiah 9:3
You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
God has multiplied the nation. What does this mean? God has multiplied the believing remnant. You see, there have always been people who professed belief and honored God with their lips while their hearts remained far from Him. This is not what God would multiply. This was one of the sins judged by God in Israel’s foreign invasions: religious ritualism. Israel was largely made up of people who began to just go through the motions. This is something incredibly common in our day that we must repent of. This passage is referring to multiplying the believing remnant. Unfortunately, in their day as in ours, the number of those who believed and obeyed – was small. But this light that was going to come into the world was going to shine light into blind hearts and cause people to see the glory of Christ and believe. The true, godly, believing remnant will multiply, and the promise to Abraham will be fulfilled. People from ALL nations will be blessed through Abraham’s seed, Jesus. The believing remnant would include people from every nation, tribe and tongue, who would one day worship together around His throne.
This is a great cause for joy. This Messiah that is promised—He is not just for the nation of Israel. He is a Saviour for the whole world. This is why the angels could shout out in exclamation that they bring ‘good news of great joy that will be for all people!’ Luke 2:10.
There is such joy from this...the prophet is searching for the words that might express the greatest rejoicing of the soul. He says, it’s like when you get an astounding abundance at harvest or when you win a great victory and there is much reward.
This message of a Saviour for all people who will forgive us, save us and make us new creations...this is good news of great JOY. We search our whole lives for something that will truly satisfy our hearts. We seek deep happiness of soul.
It doesn’t come from looking within. It doesn’t come from looking to the world. It only comes as we look to Him.
He is the joy we long for.
He is the one who can give us hearts fully alive.
He is the one who desires that His very joy may be in us and that our joy may be FULL.
Have you tasted this joy in the Lord? There are so many spiritual blessings in Christ that are for us. Sadly, many of us, are too distracted and busy to enjoy these incredible blessings. I pray that this advent season that you would slow down and consider our great cause for joy and that even amidst unsettling times, you would be filled with a joy unspeakable and full of glory because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
May He increase your joy.uns
Reflecting on all that God has done for you in Christ, what aspect of your salvation gives you the greatest joy at this moment in your life?
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