Love
OPENING PRAYER:
Spirit, open our hearts to what we need to hear today.
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:9-11
REFLECT:
With the lighting of the second Advent candle, we remember God’s love for us. We remember that he sent his son to earth to bridge the divide between himself and his creation.
In the Old Testament, we see a law in place that was impossible for the people to follow. We see animal sacrifices made in atonement for breaking these laws. We see humanity fail time and time again to do what is right and good.
In the New Testament, we see a new law. We see a sacrifice that is truly innocent and able to account for all sin. We see God step down as a man to do what is right and good on behalf of us all.
Jesus’ love is the law that covers us, and he allows us to be covered in his righteousness as a full atonement. It is the only thing that can truly close the divide between Creator and Creation.
APPLY:
His love lives on as an example for us today. Only love can cover the wrongs we see in the world around us. Only true love can do that. We should seek each day to extend loving kindness to others like God has extended his ultimate love to us.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Spirit, help us see the ways that you pour out your love through us today. Help us seek out ways to show true, unadulterated love to the world around us.
CONTINUED READING:
Psalm 23, Psalm 55:22, Philippians 4:13
WORSHIP: