Can you believe how quickly Christmas is approaching? Soon 2015 will but a memory. My prayer for you during this holiday season is for peace, lots and lots of peace. It is for joy, lots and lots of joy. And it is for love, lots and lots of love. As you seek to make Jesus the center of your Christmas season, His presence will be your gift from God. As you unwrap the gift of Jesus’ presence this Advent, my prayers for you will be fulfilled. You will indeed find peace, joy, and love!
But experiencing Him to the fullest depends on to you. You must be intentional about this. To experience Jesus’ presence you must first take the time. Guard your time alone with the Lord. Carve out those precious moments of solitude. Think of our Lord as you go about your days – shopping, cooking, mothering, working, baking, singing, and making merry. Invite Him into every moment. He will come. He longs to join you. Extend the invitation of His presence to come. Beckon Him. He delights in the hope of Advent spent with you.
Today I’d like to share an Advent devotional with you as we begin the Christmas season. This is from a devotional series I currently have featured on my blog, jacquelineheider.com, but if you’d like to download a copy of this 31 day devotional I’ve titled, Daily Delight ~ Thoughts of Advent, you may do so at the bottom of this page. Consider this my gift to you!
Next week we will begin a new series of seasonal WOW Weekly Moments entitled, The Words of Christmas. I hope you’ll join me!
Daily Delight~Thoughts of Advent: December 1
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. – Genesis 3:1-7
Twisting and turning, that’s what the crafty serpent is so very good at, isn’t he? “Did God actually say …” Those were his words, and in that moment, sin entered into the world. And then … then their eyes were opened and all changed. Naked and ashamed – because of sin, because of fear, just because – all was lost.
But not forever. God had a plan then, just as He does now. His plan? Jesus. Yes, Jesus. He was the answer then, and He is the answer today.
Are you in need of an answer today? The answer is Jesus. Call on Him and allow Him to cover your shame, your sin, your fear, your doubts – your everything.
Jesus. The reason for the season. Jesus. The answer to your everything.
Today’s prayer:
Precious Jesus, You are the answer to every question. I praise You today for the salvation that is found in You. Thank You for seeing my need for a Savior even before I was born. I give you _________ today and ask You to get me through. In Your most holy name I pray, amen.
Download Daily Delights~Thoughts of Advent for a short daily devotional everyday of in December.
