"God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him." 1 John 4:9 (NLT) 

Today I could just simply say… God loves you! And I would absolutely be correct. But I’d rather show you that He does.

See, I spent a good portion of my Christian walk hearing God loves me and singing childhood songs about His love.

I celebrated Christmas every year knowing the Reason for the season, yet I didn’t really comprehend His love.

I attended church and held the very breath of God’s love story in my hands but only half-heartedly read it.

So instead of feeling and seeing the depth of His love in my life no matter what, I viewed it as conditional and changing.

Because where there's the void of His Word in your life, there will be some other skewed view to take it's place. 

And had I tenaciously sought after God in His Word, I would've seen what I see now... 

God is the epitome of love in the Christmas story.

His love is not a response from us because He loved us first.

His love isn’t motivated by anything we do or don’t do.

His love isn’t earned.

His love doesn’t hinge on our past or future mistakes.

When everyone else lets us down, His love is there to pick us up.

We don’t have to pull the petals off a flower and repeat, He loves me, He loves me not, hoping the last petal will stop at He loves me because we know He does. 

It’s unchanging.

It’s constant.

It’s comforting.

But most of all… it’s unconditional.

He loves us as sinners just as much as He loves us as saints. (Romans 5:8)

Friends, the Christmas story begins with God sending Jesus in love for me and for you. Then continues in the earthly ministry of Jesus as He teaches us how to love. At the end of His earthly ministry, He laid down His life for us in love.

If you want to see how much God loves you, look to the manger. If you want to see how Jesus proves God’s love for you, look to the cross. 

The greatest love story of all time is for me and it’s for you too!

The love of God through the incarnate love of Jesus never fails; never fades. In fact, it’s the only thing we’ll take with us when we cross into eternity.

Dear heavenly Father, as we light the candle of Love, in this last week of Advent, I pray for all people to not just hear about Your love, but I pray they seek You in the quietness of this Christmas season to see and feel Your love for them. Thank you for sending Your Son as a gift to redeem us, Lord. And thank You Jesus for Your willingness to come and die in our place. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

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