The last Sunday before Christmas, today’s candle on the advent wreath is “The Love Candle”. God is love and at this season we celebrate that “Love Came Down” to earth in the promised Messiah, Jesus.
God’s definition of love and ours are sometimes at cross purposes. To us, oftentimes, whatever makes us “feel good” makes us feel loved, but for God love consists of “what is good for us”. We misunderstand His longsuffering and long range plan for our ultimate good. We would exchange the gold for tinsel anytime convenient, but the wisdom of God, manifested in Christ, chooses otherwise for us.
The scripture verse for today is 1 Corinthians 1: 24, 30-31:
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God
30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Let us pray for His wisdom to live fully within us, guiding us ever towards the mark of the high calling of Christ.
1 John 4
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
