I want to honor Jesus and celebrate his day,
So I’ll sing Happy Birthday and thank God when I pray,
For sending us a present: His Son sent from above—
An awesome Christmas present that shows the Father’s love.
As you are finishing up wrapping Christmas gifts, take time to think about the most precious gift of all. Too often, the gift God gave us in Jesus is left, as it were, unwrapped by those who understand that God gave the world a gift, but who don’t see themselves as worthy to be part of that world. They fail to appreciate that John 3:16 must be read and understood, “For God so loved YOU that he gave his only begotten Son.”
In the book As the Ink Flows, Melony Teague discussed what she calls a “daisy petal way of thinking about God’s love.” To anyone trapped in a “He loves me; He loves me not loop”, God becomes a fickle suitor whose love depends on how well they measure up to an imaginary heavenly standard. Always afraid the last petal will be a “He loves me not,” they are deprived of the joy that comes from a safe relationship with their loving heavenly Father.
Scriptures tell us that God is not fickle, capricious, changeable, variable, mercurial, inconsistent, moody, flighty, unstable, wayward, or unfaithful. He is not like anyone you have ever known or will ever know on this earth.
No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (NLT)
This Christmas, we encourage you to reflect on the words spoken by the angel who appeared to the Shepherds: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” Luke 2:10b (KJV)
Fear Not: God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. 1 John 4:16, 18a (NLT)
For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17
Great Joy: Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Psalm 34:8
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9b
Which shall be to all people: For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. Titus 2:11
Are you still playing the “He loves me; He loves me not game? In Christ, we are offered a field of daisies, with each petal offering an unmistakable, “I love you.”
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:16-18 (NIV)
Blessings,
Don & Bonnie Sennott
Authors of Your Heart is an Open Book: Finding Answers in God’s Word
Image courtesy of http://mad-bubbles.blogspot.com
Because He Loves Us Press 