ADVENT WEEK 3 — JOY The Quiet Yes That Holds Everything Together
Joseph didn’t preach a sermon or lead a revival. He didn’t stand center stage or ask for recognition.
He simply obeyed—quietly, steadily, faithfully.
He said yes to a story he didn’t write,
yes to a path he didn’t plan,
yes to a responsibility he didn’t expect,
yes when his reputation was on the line,
yes when the whole thing made absolutely no sense.
And somehow, the entire miracle of Christmas rested on that steady yes.
We often picture joy as loud, bright, and overflowing. But Joseph reminds us of another kind of joy; the kind that doesn’t leap, but anchors.
The kind that doesn’t shout, but settles. The kind that grows not in celebration, but in quiet faithfulness.
Sometimes joy is the calm strength tucked inside obedience; the steady hand that keeps the porch light on, the whispered prayer no one hears but God,
the daily choice to stay faithful even when your heart aches, even when the road feels unfair, even when you’re carrying a story you never asked to hold.
Parents of prodigals carry Joseph’s mantle.
You are often the unsung ones.
The ones who remain when it would be easier to walk away,
the ones who hold the story together with prayer and tears and stubborn hope,
the ones who keep saying yes when no one applauds or even notices.
And here’s the miracle: Joy grows in soil like that.
In the unseen yes.
In the faithful middle.
In the steady choices that look small to the world but echo loudly in heaven.
“Joseph rose and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.”
(Matthew 1:24 ESV)
