All I Want For Christmas Is God’s Great Mercy
OPENING PRAYER:
Lord, help me remember You as I get ready for Christmas. Amen
This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"-and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.
1 Timothy 1:15-16 NLT
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance-an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT
REFLECT:
A song that I learned as an elementary student was “Over the River and Through the Woods to Grandmother’s House We Go.” This song represented the excitement I experienced during the holiday season, Thanksgiving to Christmas. For both holidays we went to grandma’s house, which was in the country. It was a festive occasion with great food, presents and standing around the piano singing Christmas carols.
It is by Christ’s great mercy and patience that we can look forward to a future gathering with Him. If Christ hadn’t come into the world to save us, we wouldn’t be able to stand before God in Heaven. It is only through His death, burial and resurrection that we have been made holy enough to be able to experience eternal life with Him. There’s nothing we can do on our own to be there.
APPLY:
Faith in Christ is an essential ingredient for us to be able to get to the gathering in Heaven. “Faith starts with believing in God’s goodness and truth—that he is who he says he is. Faith culminates with knowing that God will do what he promises. When we believe that he will fulfill his promises even though we don’t see them materializing yet, we demonstrate true faith. ((Life Application Bible)
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord, guide me to grow in my faith in Jesus Christ, focus on Him and not get lost in all the cultural clutter associated with Christmas. Amen