(12.20.21– ’Tis the Season – –Psalm 119:73-80)
My friend, may I ask you a question? If you will let your love for Christ, cost you something, the great advance will be made together. Remember, love is a costly thing. Do you love enough?
My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.
I'm M. Clifford Brunner.
Here's a story: "She was lying on the ground. In her arms she held a tiny baby girl. As I put a cooked sweet potato into her outstretched hand, I wondered if she would live until morning. Her strength was almost gone, but her tired eyes acknowledged my gift. The sweet potato could help so little -- but it was all I had. Taking a bite she chewed it carefully. Then, placing her mouth over her baby's mouth, she forced the soft warm food into the tiny throat. Although the mother was starving, she used the entire potato to keep her baby alive. Exhausted from her effort, she dropped her head on the ground and closed her eyes. In a few minutes the baby was asleep. I later learned that during the night the mother's heart stopped, but her little girl lived." (Dick Hills, Love is a Costly Thing.)
Love is a costly thing. God in His love for us ‘spared not His own Son' to tell the world of His love. Love is costly, but we must tell the world at any cost. Such love is costly. If you will let your love for Christ, cost you something, the great advance will be made together. Remember, love is a costly thing. Do you love enough?”
How is your love today? Is your love ready for Christmas? Or, does your love need some working on? Frankly speaking, there is not a one among us today that couldn't use some improvement. Christmas is a time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus Christ. Preparing our hearts means using our hearts. We need to put our hearts on the line every day for those we love and, yes, those we don't. Hearts need exercise. Perfecting the art of loving is hard work and there is no better time than Christmas to start that task.
Steadfast love. That's what loving is all about. Our hearts were made for just that purpose–to reflect the love of Christ in our lives for others. Christmas is a time for us to reflect on how we can remove obstacles in our lives that may be block- ing the light of that love. Seek to discover the things in your life that have become barriers to loving in the fullest. Ask the Lord to reveal these things to you. All you need do is ask. Then, put that lovelessness before you and confess it sincerely. Take your confession to a friend or spouse and empty your heart of all anger and bitterness.As you are relieved of the burden, allow forgiveness to pour into the now vacant space. If God reveals an opportunity to increase your love where it has been weak, pray for his guidance as you seek to strengthen a love commitment. Visit someone over this Christmas season that may be lonely or forgotten. Visit them with your love and discover how much room there is in the Inn of your heart for the steadfast love of our newborn Savior, Jesus Christ.
We pray. Heavenly Father, how is our love today? Is it ready for Christmas? Or, does our love need some working on? Lord, you know and we ask You Father to prick our hearts by Your Holy Spirit to warn us of a loveless approach to Christmas. We know that we could use some improvement. We know that Christmas is a time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus Christ. Preparing our hearts means using our hearts. We need to put our hearts on the line every day for those we love and, yes, those we don't. Lord, we know that our hearts need exercise. Perfecting the art of loving is hard work and there is no better time than Christmas to start that task. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.
If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”
<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.