Resting in Advent Love

This past week has been such a blessing to me, as I pray it has been to you. The love of our God is so infinite, we could study it forever and never fully grasp it. God’s love for us is so beautifully displayed in the manger. I simply cannot wrap my mind around the fact that the baby born in Bethlehem was God incarnate! Our perfect God sent his only Son to the world. Jesus humble himself from his heavenly throne to take on humanity so that he could become the sacrifice for our sins. Friend, let this cause you to worship!

If you’ve missed any of this week’s devotionals, you can find them all here.

As we close this third week of our Advent study, take some time to rest in this glorious theme of Advent love with the following Scripture, music and prayer.

Rest in His Word

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1a

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:7-11

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

“In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.” John 1:4-5

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19

Music to Reflect On

The Unbelievable by Sovereign Grace

What Love, My God by Cityalight

A Prayer To Encourage

Father, what a glorious gift to have perfect love bestowed on my weary heart. When my life was marred by sin and rebellion against you, as I stood before you as your enemy, you responded in love and mercy. The beauty of your love for your children shines bright in Bethlehem and is proclaimed perfectly at the cross. May my sights never be distracted from this underserved gift!

I deserved your wrath, but in love you sent your Son to bear it for me. I deserved to have you turn your face away from me, but in love you gave that punishment to your only Son. What great love is this, that you would save my soul?

Let my heart be glad, even as I walk roads of brokenness this side of heaven. Let my soul rejoice, even as I face trials and tribulations. Let me run the race you’ve set before me with endurance, even in my weakness. I can do all of this because, in your great mercy, you have loved me and sent your Son into this world to save my soul.

Amen