Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Psalm 24, 29 
Isaiah 42: 1–12 
Revelation 12: 1-10 
John 3: 16–21 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John3:16

Here we have the kernel, the very crux of the Gospel. In this one beautiful sentence, we are offered the very good news that God loves us so much that he gave his beloved Son to us so that we may be forever in his presence. God showed how much he loves us by gifting us with the very best he had to offer. In this one verse we get some idea of the great breadth and depth of the love God has for us. As St. Augustine says; “God loves each one of us as though there were only one of us”.

We now await the birth of this Saviour, God's beloved Son. We wait for him to make his entry on earth as a tiny baby, vulnerable, dependent on earthly parents, just as we all have been. What joy must have been in Mary's heart as she awaited the birth of this special baby. What joy, indeed, is in our hearts as we await the one who is our Saviour, our Lord.

Whenever I hear John 3:16, I am taken back to my high school days in the ISCF (Inter School Christian Fellowship), where it seemed to be the motto, almost, so often was it quoted. It was the verse that led to our pledging our lives to Christ. Therein lay the joy of the beginnings of dedicated Christian lives, the joy of knowing we are loved by our wonderful God, the joy of a Saviour who gave his all for us.

Let us sing to the Lord a new song, Let the people sing for joy let them shout from the mountain tops. Let them give glory to the Lord. Isaiah 42:10-12

Lord God, may I always grow in the joy and hope that your promises give me. In your love alone, can I find the fullness of true joy.

–– Carolyn Madeley