The Christmas carol speaks of ‘tidings of comfort and joy’ (‘God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen’) and these two things are often linked in the Bible. God promised through Jeremiah, ‘I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow’ (Jer 31:13), and Isaiah called us to rejoice precisely because of God’s comfort: ‘Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.’ (Is 49:13) Later, Isaiah says, ‘The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.’ (Is 51:3)
We can rejoice no matter what because of the comfort and consolation God provides for us. Sometimes this comes through other people (see 2 Cor 1:2-11); sometimes it comes through circumstances; sometimes it comes through God’s word. It’s significant that joy is often the response to what God does in our lives. The shepherds and Magi, Simeon and Anna, all experienced joy because they met Jesus. We have the privilege of meeting Him each day and can therefore receive both comfort and joy from Him.