Most of us carry an ideal Christmas scene in our minds — a warm, glowing living room, a beautifully lit tree, soft music, hot chocolate, cozy blankets, and family gathered close, laughing and making memories. But as comforting as this picture is, it’s not the reality for many people.

Instead, Christmas often shines a spotlight on the pain we carry throughout the year. Illness. Grief. Strained marriages. Children walking through hard seasons. The loss of jobs, friendships, or dreams. For many, the holidays magnify rather than soothe what already hurts — leaving us feeling overwhelmed, numb, disappointed, or disconnected from the joy we thought this season should hold.

Shawna Foster reminds us that this tension between expectation and reality isn’t unique to our modern lives. In Scripture, the apostle Paul wrote his powerful words about joy — from a prison cell. Cold, dark, filthy, and chained, he was living far from the life he imagined when he first followed Jesus. The Philippian church, too, was facing persecution and hardship. This wasn’t the plan they had envisioned.

And yet Paul writes with boldness and clarity:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Paul isn’t ignoring his circumstances or pretending his suffering isn’t real. He’s reminding us of a deeper truth:
Joy does not come from what happens around us — it comes from who God is within us.

Joy does not mean pretending everything is okay.
Joy does not deny pain, grief, or unmet expectations.
Joy means that even here — in our hardest moments — God is still good, still near, still working, and still worthy of praise.

And because our joy is rooted in the Lord, not in our circumstances, Paul repeats himself to make sure we don’t miss it.
Joy is possible even when life breaks our hearts.
Joy is possible because Jesus entered a world that didn’t look anything like Mary planned.
Joy is possible because our Savior meets us in the unexpected, the unwanted, and the unplanned.

When life doesn’t look like what you hoped it would — rejoice in the One who never changes. Rejoice in His presence, His promises, His grace, and His love that holds you even on the days you feel too weary to hold yourself together.

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
— Philippians 4:4

MAIN TAKEAWAYS

• Joy is rooted in who God is, not in how life looks.

• Paul teaches joy not from comfort but from a prison cell — proving joy is possible anywhere.

• God meets us in unmet expectations, unexpected seasons, and unplanned hardships.

• Joy in the Lord can coexist with sorrow, disappointment, and pain.

• True rejoicing is grounded in God’s presence, not perfect circumstances.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

• Philippians 4:4

• Habakkuk 3:17–18

• Psalm 16:11

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for this beautiful reminder that joy is not dependent on my circumstances. Like Mary, whose expectations were upended, teach me to rejoice even when life doesn’t look like what I hoped. Help me find Jesus in every moment — especially the ones filled with disappointment, grief, or unmet expectations. Thank You for loving me, for coming to earth so I could have a way home, and for giving joy that runs deeper than any hardship. Fix my heart on You in this season and every season.
In Jesus’s name, Amen.

THREE THINGS TO PONDER

1. What parts of your life look different from what you hoped for?
   Where can you recognize God’s help, presence, or provision even there?

2. How can you anchor your joy in who God is rather than in your circumstances?
   What would it look like to rejoice in the Lord today?

3. What might God be teaching you in this unexpected season?
   Can you trust His goodness even when the plan has changed?

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