The Weary World Rejoices
Week Four - “A Time for Joy”
Isaiah 40:30-31 and Luke 1:39-45
Advent - a time of watching, a time for compassion, a time for receiving, also a time for joy
* “the weary world rejoices”
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. —Isaiah 40:28-31
There’s a time for both - and they’re not necessarily different times!
- the power and the strength of our faith is that it can thrive in uncertainty
Context: both Mary and Elizabeth are in the midst of some chaos - Mary is pregnant under some very questionable circumstances, Elizabeth is “very old” and pregnant and her husband currently can’t speak
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” —Luke 1:39-45
Pain and uncertainty and hurt are not indicators of a lack of joy. You can be in pain and still have great joy.
Our faith in God isn’t dependent on God making everything right right now - our faith in God is dependent on a Savior who showed up in the midst of it all as the guarantee of our hope.