God Loved, so God Gave (Day 3)
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 But as many as received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God… ~ John 1:12
I love these words from the familiar Christmas hymn/carol, “Joy to the World, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room…” The carol invites us to make our hearts ready for Christmas. I remember so many Christmas seasons as a kid and teenager that I would get excited for the Christmas season – writing Christmas wish lists, watching the Christmas TV specials (still love me some Rudolph), and gazing at the lights all around town. It was fun and magical, but the
end of the month of December always felt anti-climactic. I had all these hopes that went unfulfilled. When I surrendered to Jesus as a 19-year-old sophomore in college (Go Dawgs!), I discovered the missing piece. I had loved the idea of the “Christmas spirit,” but had missed the very Spirit of Jesus Christ himself.
Going back to the carol “Joy to the World,” the call is for “earth (to) receive her King. (And to) Let every heart prepare Him room.” I entered into Christmas with a new heart of seeking God and receiving Him anew. I knew the greatest gift of Christmas was Jesus – my sins forgiven, my heart made alive, my hope restored, my future made secure. I found reconciliation and restoration in the person of Jesus. The Gospel of John contains many great truths and here are two of the most famous: (1) “For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ , that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16); (2) But as many as received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God… ~ John 1:12
Christmas is well known as a season of gift-giving, but it all started with the first and greatest gift of Jesus. Gifts are something given freely without charge, and they also must be received by the person the gift is intended for. We read that “God so loved, that (God) gave.” It all starts with the heart of the Father who provide the most extravagant and costly gift ever in the form of his son Jesus. We also read that Jesus is a gift in which we must “believe” and “receive” (John 1:12). For years, I knew about the gift of Jesus. I sang about the gift, talked about the gift, read about the gift; however, I never knew that I must fully open my heart to make room for the gift. For earth to receive her King, I had to personally receive the King into my life. The Father gave the gift of Jesus 2000 years ago, but it was
1989 when I made room in my heart and received my King. Christmas has never been the same since, and I continue to make room for Jesus and Holy Spirit to do his work in my heart.
Questions and Reflections: (1) Do you find it easy to become distracted at Christmas from the One whom Christmas is all about? If so, why is that? What takes your attention from Him? (2) What can you do differently to keep your focus and attention on Jesus this season?
ACTIVATE
Can you take 5 to 10 minutes today to create space to make room for Jesus? Find a quiet, restful spot to come into presence of Jesus. Put on some worship, or sit in stillness. Recognize the Presence of Jesus, and of Holy Spirit who lives in you. Connect with His Presence.
(1) Tell Him you desire His Presence and Closeness
(2) Confess those things that draw you away from His Presence
(3) Invite Holy Spirit to come and fill you with more of Jesus
(4) Soak in Jesus’ Presence – slowly thanking Him, declaring your love for Him, listening to Him.
What is he saying to you and telling you?