Daily Devotional
Love Came Down
December 1, 2019
Today’s Reading
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. JOHN 3:16
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 1 CORINTHIANS 13:1
Love Came Down
Did you know that the true message of Christmas is found in John 3:16? Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This is the heart of Christmas. Jesus is God’s great love gift, because Jesus came to give His life that we might have life and “have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Without a doubt, love came down at Christmas.
Now, because Jesus loved us enough to die on the cross for our sins, what better Christmas gift could we give others than to share His love with them, that they might have life? Love is a gift our world desperately needs this Christmas season. In order to know and share Christ’s love, we need to know how Christlike love looks and acts. And the best place to find a well-rounded description of love is in the Bible’s great love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13.
Let’s concentrate on verse 1. What Paul has in mind here is the agape love of God. In verse 1, Paul writes, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.” What Paul is saying here is that love is absolutely indispensable. The finest oratory on earth is no substitute for love. We’ve all heard the expression, “He talks a better game than he plays.” Paul isn’t forbidding us to talk about love. We need to be a witness. But when it comes to sharing Christ’s love this Christmas, we need to back up our verbal witness with the quality of our lives!
Activity
Provide family members with a blank Christmas card so they can write their own Christmas message to someone they love outside your immediate family circle. Help younger children write their message, and allow them to color or decorate their card.
Take advantage of the related activities and resources at ExperienceChristmas.org.
• Streaming Christmas music
• Planning calendar & activities
• A resource for each day to dive deeper into the topic
• A video Christmas card
• Easy access to purchase the book, A Family Christmas Treasury
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
