December 10: Love Comes from God

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:7 (NIV)

Only the Lord can bring true peace and love in times of turmoil and stress. When families are brought (forced) together for a Christmas event, the blessing of His love can bring light to all. As my life has been transformed by the truth of His love for me, the peace and contentment of the Lord now rings in my heart. This transformation ends what is dead and begins what He truly intends for us to experience as an abundant life.

Growing up in a home that talked about God, but never allowed Him to enter, Christmas was a magical time. No matter how hard my family tried to take Him out of the picture, the more He made Himself present. He was alive in my heart, and there was nothing anyone could say or do to remove Him from residing in me. My appreciation of Him came in the smells of Christmas dinner, the sights of lights, the sounds of laughter and the Christmas stories of the coming of the Lord which always brought tears of joy.

Dear Lord, fill our hearts with Your love so we can love our family and others well during the Christmas season. Bind us together with the love of God. In Christ our Savior, Amen.

Gary Boldt