Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Offer Joy this Advent (12/18/25)

This week, our family devotional time concluded with joyfully singing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!”

I associate this carol with joy, and it fits perfectly with the focus on joy this third week of Advent. Jesus came to offer us eternal joy, surpassing any fleeting earthly happiness. He came to reconcile sinners, extend His righteousness and give us eternal life.

Some of the lyrics in “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” seem to be inspired by the following passage:

Luke 2:9-14     ⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The angels announced good news that would bring immense joy – a Savior had been born! As we navigate this Christmas season, how can we extend that joy in Christ to those around us?

The next time we hear “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” let’s reflect on the significance of the lyrics - the joy Jesus offers – and sincerely give Him glory as we sing!

Forgiving Old Grievances

There is a sense in which our Savior holds grudges. It’s always confused me why certain people groups hold grudges from previous generations, sometimes hundreds of years. It’s not just Asia or Eastern Europe or Ireland; it’s West Virginia for Pete’s sake. What’s wrong with us?

In Deuteronomy, we have this directive from Yahweh to the people through Moses:

No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD; to the tenth generation none of their descendants shall ever do so, for they did not meet you with food and water on the way as you came from Egypt, and furthermore, they hired Balaam son of Beor of Pethor in Aram Naharaim to curse you. But the LORD your God refused to listen to Balaam and changed the curse to a blessing, for the LORD your God loves you. You must not seek peace and prosperity for them through all the ages to come. 

Deuteronomy 23:3-6 NET

The story of this offense is in Numbers 22 and 25. It’s a long story, but there’s a talking donkey, so I highly recommend it, although it’s kind of confusing. Anyway, Moab=bad in Yahweh’s eyes, so don’t go there, befriend them, or help them in any way…

During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land of Judah. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner in the region of Moab, along with his wife and two sons. (Now the man’s name was Elimelech, his wife was Naomi, and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in Judah.) They entered the region of Moab and settled there. Sometime later Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. Both her sons married Moabite women. (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth.) And they continued to live there about ten years. Then Naomi’s two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died. So the woman was left all alone—bereaved of her two children as well as her husband! 

Ruth 1:1-5 NET

Well, clearly, this cannot end well. Yahweh cannot possibly accept this, in fact isn’t obvious that He’s punishing this family for going to Moab? What did they think would happen? And yet, this sets up one of the most beautiful stories in Scripture. 

Our Creator makes rules. He seems so stern and harsh at times. And yet, after making such a thoroughly imprecatory rule, we have an entire book, one of the most elegant, named for a Moabite woman…MOABITE and a WOMAN! Rahab got a good story, a few chapters of Joshua, but Ruth get’s a whole book. Actually, Ruth gets much more than a whole book.

So Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law back home!” But Ruth replied,

“Stop urging me to abandon you!

For wherever you go, I will go.

Wherever you live, I will live.

Your people will become my people,

and your God will become my God.

Wherever you die, I will die—and there I will be buried.

May the LORD punish me severely if I do not keep my promise!

Only death will be able to separate me from you!”

When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to dissuade her. 

Ruth 1:15-18 NET

This is read at weddings to describe the devotion and commitment between spouses. Yet it is actually the devotion of a woman to her mother-in-law through a deceased husband. By any law of any culture, any obligation between Ruth and Naomi is over. And yet it’s not.

Long, beautiful story, short; girl meets boy, boy falls in love with girl, family inheritance problems arise, boy overcomes them with a sandal, and marries the girl.

But here’s the kicker:

So Boaz married Ruth and slept with her. The LORD enabled her to conceive and she gave birth to a son. 

Ruth 4:13 NET

Naomi took the child and placed him on her lap; she became his caregiver. The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. Now he became the father of Jesse—David’s father. 

Ruth 4:16-17 NET

But wait, there’s more!

This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Matthew 1:1 NET

Salmon the father of Boaz (by Rahab), Boaz the father of Obed (by Ruth), Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. 

Matthew 1:5-6 NET

So, Yahweh broke His own rules on the pathway to save His human creatures through Jesus. For Jesus, forgiveness was literally in His genes.