Advent Adventure- 3 Days to Christmas: LOVE- The Angel’s Candle
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
John 3:16-17 (NIV)
We have just three days left in our Advent Adventure to prepare our hearts for Christmas! Wow! How are your preparations going? I’m not talking about the presents you’ve bought and wrapped or the decorations you’ve done. Let’s take a moment to pause and prepare our hearts as we wrap up our journey together for Christmas. How prepared are you to experience His Advent in your life?
We’ve covered three of the four themes of Advent traditionally represented by four candles on an Advent Wreath. The first candle represented hope, known as the prophets’ candle, as it points to the hope of a coming Messiah, a Savior who would save us from our sins, prophesied by the prophets of old. The second candle on the wreath represents peace. Some traditions call this the “Bethlehem Candle”. God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled in Bethlehem! The third candle, known as the Shepherd’s candle, is lit for Joy – a joy the angels told the Shepherds would be for ALL people! The Gospel is good news for a bad-news world!
For the next three days before Christmas, we’re going to explore the profound depths of the fourth and final candle that represents LOVE – God’s eternal, everlasting love that led Him to send His one and only Son to save us! Though it is the last candle lit in most advent wreaths, it is certainly not the least. In fact, we’ve saved the best part of our adventure together for last! The Apostle, John, tells us why in the best-known passage of Scripture in the Bible:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (NIV John 3:16-17)
Who can comprehend such love? For the church in Ephesus, Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:19 (NLT), “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” That is my prayer as we explore the depths of God’s love in these final days of our journey. His love will prepare our hearts for Christmas!
Love motivated God to give His one and only Son. Why? Oswald Chambers said, “It is shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love. … The love of God means Calvary, and nothing less. … The only ground on which God can forgive us is the tremendous tragedy of the Cross of Christ. … When once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vice, constrained by the love of God.” (My Utmost for His Highest)
Love always sacrifices. It’s been said that you can give without loving, but you can never love without giving! Christmas is God’s gift of love to man! Have you experienced His love in your life? You can right now. Why not take a few moments and ask God to help you experience a love you’ve never known before? Open the gift of Christmas He has given you in His Son, Jesus Christ. Receive Him as your personal Lord and Savior!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.