Christ-Centered Christmas -- Day 21
Hosea 3:1 states, Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”
Hosea’s “unsanitized” version of God’s amazing love is really what the incarnation (God becoming flesh) is all about. We are the Lord’s creation and deeply loved by Him. In spite of His continued faithfulness to us, we have constantly left His arms and pursued the arms of others—money, power, fame, possessions, lustful pleasure, etc. Yet, God was willing to shed His majestic glory to be clothed in frail flesh in order to bring us back to Himself. He was willing to surrender Heaven, and ultimately His own life, to see us back in His arms. Amazing!
THINK
What is your favorite part of the Christmas story?
Why?
What is it about God’s love that amazes you the most?
How can you praise God for who He is and what He has done for you?
PRAY
Praise God for His great love shown in how far He would go to bring you back to Himself
Confess to God, if necessary, being more self-focused than God-focused
Ask God to deepen your faith, love, and commitment to Him
Ask God to use you to share His love, reflect His glory, and make a mighty difference in the world
APPLY
Take time out and watch the 2014 movie, The Son of God or Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Be captivated by all that the Lord was willing to endure for you
