Advent Week Three: Where Joy Takes Root

Joy That Remains

Joy does not arrive suddenly in Advent; it grows quietly from Hope and roots deeply where Peace has made room. This is the week where joy stops feeling seasonal and begins to feel sustaining.

Biblical joy is not the denial of hardship. It is the confidence that our lives are held by a God who does not waver, withdraw, or abandon what he has begun.

This third week of Advent invites us to consider the next seven names in the KNOWN Devotional, names that reveal where joy actually comes from: not circumstances, but connection.

The Vine — the source of life itself. Jesus tells us plainly, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” Joy flourishes when we remember that abundant life is something we receive. Connected to Christ, we bear fruit naturally. Disconnected, we wither. Joy grows where abiding replaces striving.

Jehovah Shammah — the Lord is there. Joy steadies us when we remember that God is not only present with us now, but already present in what lies ahead. There is no place—past, present, or future—where he is absent. We are never navigating unknown territory alone.

Jehovah Tzidkenu — the Lord our righteousness. Joy deepens when we stop trying to earn what has already been exchanged. He took our sinfulness and clothed us in his own righteousness. We no longer stand before God as enemies, but grafted into Christ’s perfection.

Holy — perfect, whole, set apart, unchanging. Joy grows when we understand holiness as transformation, so we can dwell together. His holiness was given to us so we could flourish in his presence.

Faithful and True — always keeping his promises. Joy prevails when we trust his consistency. God does not change his mind, forget his promises, or abandon his people. He is dependable in every season, especially the ones that test us.

Jehovah M’Kaddesh — the Lord who sanctifies. Joy matures as we recognize that holiness is a process God himself sustains. We are not self-made saints; we are being shaped, refined, and formed into Christ's image by the Holy Spirit's faithful work in us.

El Olam — the Everlasting God. Joy stretches beyond the present moment when we remember that our lives are part of his eternal story. He has no beginning and no end. Because of this, what feels temporary, fragile, or unfinished now is held within a narrative that is held within the palm of his hand.

This is the gift of Joy in Advent: it anchors us to what cannot be shaken. Joy is not the excitement of fulfilled expectations; it is the confidence of belonging to a faithful God.

As we light the third candle, may its glow remind us: Joy remains where we abide—rooted in the Everlasting God, held by his faithfulness, and alive in his presence.