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Rev. Graham dedicates 18 homes in flood-ravaged Kentucky in time for Christmas: ‘We give God the glory’

Exclusive footage shared with Fox News Digital shows Franklin Graham dedicating 18 homes to Kentucky flood survivors as families cry tears of relief three weeks before Christmas. (Credit: Samaritan's Purse)

Every December, Americans go searching for joy. We chase it through crowded stores, pack it into our calendars and hope the season will somehow lift the heaviness we’ve carried all year long. But for many families, the glow of the lights can’t hide the weight in their hearts.

The third Sunday of Advent, however, tells a different story. As we focus on the theme of joy this Sunday, we’re celebrating something more than just happiness, something we cannot manufacture or pretend to have. We’re celebrating joy that stepped into the world as God himself in human form.

Joy came wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Joy has a name.

For thousands of years, Christian believers have held on to this truth. Joy arrived — not the kind that fades the moment the decorations come down, but a deep, unshakable, God-given joy that rests on the reality of a Savior who came to forgive, rescue, and redeem. That’s the message at the center of Christmas. It speaks with surprising clarity into a world desperate for something steady.

REV. FRANKLIN GRAHAM DELIVERS KENTUCKY FLOOD SURVIVORS NEW HOMES FOR CHRISTMAS: ‘WE CAN FINALLY BREATHE’

David wrote about this kind of joy in the Psalms. He called it gladness that flows from God’s forgiveness and renewal (Psalm 51), a joy we don’t earn and can’t produce on our own. He also knew how quickly joy can dim when life becomes a struggle. Many people feel that right now. They’re worn down, unsure of tomorrow and carrying more than they ever expected.