Intro
During this Advent season, we are doing 25 days of Christmas ewords! Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with your dailyeword. We will celebrate Advent with a different scripture everyday that relates to Hope, Joy, Peace and Love, all the wonderful things that Jesus came to bring. He was heaven manifested on the earth, and because of Him, we can live an amazing abundant life, filled with hope, overflowing with joy, enjoying perfect peace, and surrounded with love. In Matt 6:9-13 The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus makes it very clear that he wants the earth to experience a little bit of heaven…. His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Let’s enjoy life with a little glimmer of heaven right here on this earth during these 25 days of Christmas ewords.
Through the coming weeks we will be on a journey to Bethlehem. Each Christmas, we do an advent devotional during each of our Sunday services, and for almost 11 years as I’ve written Encouraging Words every week that have gone out by email, on the radio, on my dailyeword blog, and podcasts. So I will be doing this again this year. Join us each day on our journey to the manger.
One thing that I have noticed as I study the Nativity story each Christmas is that it becomes more meaningful. It really isn’t about the trappings that we associate with Christmas, even though I love every part of Christmas. What it is really about, is a gift of hope, joy, peace and love from God. Christmas is about a precious gift, in the form of a baby, who was an offering, and became a seed that would reap a tremendous harvest in each of us. He was a gift wrapped in flesh, clothed with humanity, and destined for greatness. He is the substance of things we hoped for (Hebrews 12:1) The simplicity of a baby born in a stable, contained the amazing revelation that God is with us.. No longer do we have to wait for Him to manifest, He is Here. What an awesome thought! Our waiting and our search is over. He found us and now we can find Him! He came to us, now we can come to Him. He offered His life to us, now we offer our lives to Him. His loved was demonstrated, so that we can demonstrate our love back to Him.
I hope that during this season of hope, joy, peace and love, that your heart gets expanded to really know how much God has for you. God was determined enough to make it happen through a baby in a stable. Let the story of the Nativity come to life in you this year. It is not just a story, but an unfolding of God’s breath of life, manifested in humanity, wrapped in divinity, so that we can know Him, experience His presence and then live for Him, filled with hope, enveloped in joy, surrounded by peace, and wrapped in love.
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