Preparing Our Hearts for Christmas

Christmas is just two days away! The darkest day of the year has passed, and a new light is dawning! The birth of Jesus, the Light of the world is born. God’s love drew near, and His glory was revealed among us.

Merry Christmas! Rejoice and celebrate the birth of our Savior!

To help prepare our hearts, here are a couple of short devotions taken from two of my books. Enjoy! Be blessed!

Hand in Hand

Christmas and love are tightly woven together, the meaning of each goes hand in hand with the other. The very essence of God is love, and He graciously chose to reveal His gloriously amazing love to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. God’s divine love came down to make its home among us on the first blessed Christmas morn. His love arrived on the scene in the form of a baby—His love was humbly born in a stable, wrapped and nestled in a manger. His love was proclaimed by angels above. His love came down from Heaven with the sole purpose of being our Savior. God’s extravagant and sacrificial love is the true spirit of Christmas. Christmas and love cannot be separated; they are absolutely one and the same.

John 3:16-17, “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.”

• How has the love that God showed at Christmas impacted your life?

In response to the extravagant love of God for us, let’s transform our Christmas to-do list:

Christmas To-Do List

1. Celebrate Jesus

2. Show love

3. Show kindness

4. Give smiles

5. Give hugs

6. Give encouraging words

7. Slow down

8. Appreciate time with loved ones

9. Make memories

10. Bless others

Ephesians 5:1-2, “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”