Advent Week 4–LOVE
By Jeremiah Charles Williams
John 3:16 NASB1995
For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 4:7-10 NASB 1995
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this love of God manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we may live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Ephesians 3:18
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high and how deep his love is. May you experience the Love of Christ, though it is too great to fully understand fully, Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Agape Love, Now and Forever
By Jeremiah Charles Williams
The other day I was sitting and reflecting while listening to the song “I love you, Lord” by Bill & Gloria Gaither”. I was watching the snow falling, and I could picture people playing on Christmas day in the snow outside with their new toys saying, “I love you, Mom.” “I Love you, Dad.” “Thank you, Grandma.” “Grandpa, I love you.” I could see the love of the phone calls from people wishing you a happy holidays. But I could also see the other side of it, the not-so loving part: not hearing from our loved ones, not getting the gift we though we were going to receive, the chaos of trying to have a “perfect” holiday time. But then I saw the Love of Jesus smiling down on us, His hands outstretched toward us, saying, “Here’s a hug–I’m with you.”
Agape love–the love of God–is the love that covers us in the holiday time and outside the holiday time. The agape love He has for us when we are tired and say, “Lord, I don’t know what else to do—I’ve tried all I could do.” Jesus is saying to us, “Come to me, my beloved, you don’t have to earn My Love. It’s a free gift. You can receive a gift that never stops giving!” Now that we have finished all our running and our holiday shopping and food preparing for Christmas, let’s slow down and let the Holy Spirit speak to our heart what is He trying to tell us—God’s love will never fail!
Love was born in Bethlehem, Love was wrapped in swaddling clothes, Love was laid in a manger. After a few years, Love was baptized by John, and a voice out of heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Love went around healing the sick and causing the blind to see. Love calmed the storm on the sea, Love fed 5,000 men not counting women and children. Love went to a cross one Friday, and Love died on a hill called Calvary. He died for you and for me—that’s love! But that’s not how the story ends. Three days later He rose again. That’s Love.
During this holiday season, let’s take time to remember the greatest gift of all—The Love of Jesus. No man can take this gift away from us. Maybe you can take time to journal about His goodness and all the ways He loves you, maybe call a friend, or spend time in prayer thanking Him for His goodness and His love, His Agape love, now and forever.
Prayer
Lord God, we thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, dying for our sins that we may have everlasting life. Thank you for your Love you have shown us each and everyday. Thank you that you first loved us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Here’s a song to close out the devotion:
YES JESUS LOVES ME
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