By Ben Newell
1 Peter 1:8
1 Peter 1:8 says, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.”
We have been blessed with three (3) wonderful children during our nineteen (19) years of marriage. Each birth experience was unique, spiritual, and overwhelming too. For a first time Dad, like me, the birth experience was scary and long in coming. I had to trust in my God that the process He determined so long ago, birthing of a baby, was a joyful thing.
Lucas was our first son. I don’t think, or at least I don’t remember with truthful memories, that our first pregnancy experience started off joyfully. Sickness, tiredness, and the unknown punctuated the experience at first. Then eventually the unknown became familiar and not so scary. Eventually we worked as a team. Things became a little more enjoyable. My job was to take care of Mom’s every wanting wish and to sing to little Lucas as he grew in his mom’s tummy. The daily song time became joyful beyond measure (unspeakable). It was a connection for Lucas and myself. Joy was realized by me, and I think by Lucas himself while in the womb, in a way that was unexpected. The process as well as the birth became undeniably joyful.
Peter is telling us that we can have “unspeakable” joy through faith in Christ even before we meet Jesus in heaven. Even though we cannot see him, we love him. Even though we can’t hear, him we believe in Him as Savior. The process of our salvation can be as joyful as our objective of eternity with Christ in heaven.
May you experience this unspeakable joy that comes through trusting and loving Jesus our Savior this Christmas season. May the process of Christmas be as joyful as the day of Christmas, as we remember His birth, life, and death for our salvation.