I have been praying for you that as you journal the scriptures I have highlighted each week, God would be drawing you nearer to Himself. That your relationship with Him would be deeper and more intimate because he has opened your eyes to see Himself. That you are on a journey to follow hard after Jesus, that others would see a difference in your life, to want the hope that you have, to know the sacrificial love of Jesus because your love is becoming like His, and that your joy spills over because you know Him.
May this Christmas be joy-filled to overflowing for you, not because you gave the best gifts, not because your house is decorated beautifully (and I can imagine it is!), but because you are growing closer to our Lord Jesus through fellowship with Him.
Watchful Waiting Joy
Advent Bible Journaling Focus – Week Three
Joy Wells Up
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10
This beautiful verse written by the Prophet Isaiah paints pictures in my mind of a young girl twirling in a swirly dress, her head flung back and her arms stretched high. I often see this little girl in my imagination. She is in a setting of beauty but it’s not always the same. Sometimes I see her under an azure blue sky in a field of spring green. Other times I see her right where I myself am at the moment, maybe sitting at my art desk or even standing on the platform as part of the worship team on a Sunday morning. She twirls for a joy that wells up inside of her and spills out.
Google defines joy as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. Galatians 6 tells us that joy is a fruit of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. It’s not something that you can work up on your own in your head or your heart but is born out of a growing intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and the perspective that relationship lends to your heart, mind, and soul that looks past circumstances and sees Him at work.
John Piper wrote, “…the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of my heart to see the beauty of Christ. When I see Christ in all that he is doing, and all that he is, then my heart is drawn out in joy towards him. The Spirit gives us eyes to see the beauties of Jesus that call joy up out of our hearts.“
The scene in the stable on that day when God With Us was born was not a pretty scene and that baby grown up had a purpose to fulfill that was painful and ugly in all reality… but heartachingly beautiful. He was and is Hope wearing skin. He was and is unimaginable, indescribable Love. And knowing Him is joy.
Can you imagine the joy in Mary’s heart looking on the son in her arms, knowing He was also her Savior? It was Mary who sang the first song of joy in the New Testament!
How could she not have remembered those words as she looked into His tiny face? Her heart must have welled up with joy yet again to see the truth in her arms.
To receive the gift of salvation that God provided through His Son Jesus, the robe of His righteousness placed over your shoulders to cover you “as a bride adorns herself with her jewels,” to grow in understanding of who He is, building a relationship with this One who came to give you life, and to delight in the fellowship of His Presence every day… this is joy.
These together are all ways to wait with intentionality. If you don’t know Christ as your Savior, I pray that this would be the Christmas you receive Him. Joy begins there!
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.
1 Peter 1:8-9
Watchful Waiting Joy includes one devotional prompt for each week of Advent plus Christmas Day and a surprise prompt at the end to close out the season. I might be more excited about that one than all of the rest! Each prompt includes a free printable to print and use in your Bible or journal as you process each prompt. The printable is original artwork created by me.
Special Note: If you would like to join me and a group of others on the Watchful Waiting Joy journey, subscribe to my email list here.
Links to the devotional prompt and downloadable printable along with an exclusive printable only for email subscribers are emailed each week of Advent.
Joy Wells Up – Advent Week Three Devotional (Printable Download)
Free Downloadable Printable (Click on the image below.)
And a preview of the exclusive printable available for email subscribers.
Click on the image below to sign up.
If you have any questions about the Advent Focus or problems with the files, please please please let me know!
Thanks for reading!
Blessings on a wonderful Advent season!
***All printables are for personal use ONLY and not for redistribution. Thank you!
Supplies Used in Mixed Media Original Images:
- Sharpie No Bleed Pen
- Hymn Pages
- Koi Watercolors
- Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue
- paint.net
- MS Publisher
- MS Word
- Canon ScanGear Scanner & software
Acknowledgements:
- All images are prints of originals created by me except:
- twine bows, pine cones, satin bows, bead sprays – all digital images from pixelscrapper.com.
- Old hymn pages
- Font – Highline Script Font and Warrenson Script Font by CreativequbeDesign Studio
- Font – Silverwaves from Creative Market
