The JOY of Christmas
Pastor Todd Blansit
New Life Church
December 22, 2024

Joseph Scriven was born in Ireland in 1819. He was educated and received a degree from Trinity College in Dublin and became a teacher. With plans to settle down and soon to marry, life was good for Joseph. Unfortunately, the day before his wedding, his future wife drowned.

The grief was more than he could bear, so Joseph moved to Canada to start over. There, he met and fell in love again with Eliza Ricebe married and planned to again. It is unthinkable that you could lose so much in one young lifetime but weeks before they were to be wed, Eliza became sick and died from her illness. Joseph was only 25.

From this heartache and through faith in his God, a mission was born. Joseph took a vow of poverty and began to help the poor and the handicapped in any way he could. For ten years, he made himself available to come alongside those in need, and he found comfort and purpose in serving.

Then, unbelievably, heartache would strike again! His mother, still in Ireland, and Scriven in Canada, became very ill, and he did not have the funds to help her or to go and be with her. He penned the words to this poem for her, and it has since comforted, encouraged, and uplifted generations!

What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
Oh what peace we often forfeit!
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer
Have we trials and temptations
Is there trouble anywhere
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee
Thou wilt find a solace there

This joy that Christmas brings is unlike any joy the world offers. It is not dependent on circumstances, material possessions, or fleeting pleasures. The joy of Christmas is rooted in something eternal the presence of God with us.

This joy, born in Bethlehem, is a joy that lasts forever. It's not tied to momentary things. It is deep and unshakable, it comes from knowing we are loved by God, saved by Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Choose to:
Focus on the hope you have in Christ.
Focus on the peace that is yours in Christ.
Embrace the joy of knowing Jesus.

Our pain forces us to make a decision: Will we rejoice in the Lord, even here? I want to answer yes, but a wounded spirit often struggles to muster anything that feels remotely like joy.