Youth Advent 12/23

Note: This devotion material was purchased digitally from YM360 to be used for the Advent Season of 2024.
 
Day Twenty-Three: Our Hope is Jesus, Our Salvation
Have you ever been so excited about something you just couldn’t wait to share the news with someone else? Maybe you made the team or got the part. Maybe your crush finally talked to you. Maybe you went to an awesome concert. You experienced something that brough you joy, and you just had to tell someone! That is exactly how the writer of Psalm 98 must have felt. Take a minute to read it:
 
“Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.” — Psalm 98:1-9
 

The author of this verse was VERY excited about salvation. You might be wondering what that means. Most people, when they think of the gift of salvation, think of eternal life in Heaven. While this is accurate, it is also incomplete. Salvation means deliverance. We are delivered from the power of sin over our lives. Yes, this gives us eternal life in Heaven with God, but it also promises us a life of freedom, abundance, and joy here on earth. That is something to get excited about!

The author also speaks about joy. Sometimes, we can confuse joy with happiness. But, this kind of joy is not just happiness—it’s like a feeling of inner peace and contentment despite our circumstances because we can trust that God is good and God is for us. We can experience joy because of the all-encompassing salvation Jesus brought us.

This psalm was what inspired the Christmas hymn “Joy to the World.” We can celebrate Christmas (and every day) by remembering the truth of this song because sin no longer rules over us! Instead, we can experience God’s truth, grace, and wonders of His love.
 
 

Questions:

1. What is something you experienced that you couldn’t wait to tell someone else about?
2. Have you ever experienced joy despite circumstances? Why do you think you were able to still experience joy at that time?
 
Spend two minutes asking God to help you choose joy today, no matter what you may be facing right now.