Joy to the World! The Lord is Come!

How quickly we forget.  The Christmas lights come down.  The streets are littered with dried-up trees.  The gifts are used up, broken, put out of sight.  The skies are gray. 
We return to life-as-usual.  We forget the joy. 

Think back to Christmas Eve, that great service with candles lit, resounding hymns and harmonies, voices raised in exuberance, stalwart preaching.  Wasn't it marvelous?  Didn't it make your heart nearly burst with the joy of it all? 

Where is that joy now? 

If you need a little infusion of it, turn to Isaiah 35, and read with me.  http://www.esvbible.org/Isaiah+35/   This is our future, and we can taste a bit of it even today.  Creation is restored, hearts are turned back to the Creator, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (v. 10).

Why?  They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God (v. 2). 

This is our joy, the glory and mercy and kindness of our God.  His majesty and beauty.  His ransom of us, His wayward children. 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come.  Now and always.