MOST PRECIOUS
GIFT
First of
fourteen devotions in Gethsemane series
John
17:17: “Sanctify
them by the truth; Your word is truth.”
1
John 4:16: “And so we know and rely on
the love God has for us. God is
love. Whoever lives in love lives in
God, and God in him.”
The Bible is God’s love letter to
the world. Can you imagine God smile
each time His kids open their Bibles? Maybe…talk to Me now? God is eager for a relationship with us
through prayer.
God loved you before the creation of
the world.a And nothing can make Him stop loving you.b That’s eternal unconditional love.
God’s love for you is personal and
sacrificial [sak-ri-FISH-al]. He proved
that when He sent His Son Jesus into the world.
Jesus came to offer you eternal life (personal). But He
had to die in order to make good on His offer (sacrifice). Let that truth sink in a minute.
Simply be still. Allow God’s love to surround you and seep deeply
into your pores. Do you feel the glow of
His warmth settling inside your heart—then radiating to your fingers and toes? That’s God loving you. He does that naturally because “God IS love.”c
Jesus is God’s most precious gift to
you.
Jesus set aside His divinity when discovering
He was born as a human baby! Jesus learned
as a child who He is,d whose He is,e and His purpose as a
human in the world.f Jesus
prayed to our Father to set His followers apart from the world. Sanctify [SANK-tif-fy] means to set
apart.
Jesus wants this accomplished by
Believers knowing God’s truth.
Where do we find God’s truth? In the Bible!
This devotion comes just after Ash
Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Lent
is a time for Christians to draw close to Jesus. His earthly ministry ends before our eyes.
Lent ends with an exclamation mark. The exclamation mark is Easter—when Jesus
rose from the dead.
Sacrifice is always a trade-off that
hurts. In Jesus’ case, He traded earthly
life for dying as payment of (human) sins and offer of eternal life. Jesus’ pain of suffering and death was a perfect trade-off because He rose from the dead.
This means that you can rise back to life, too!
This series is entitled Gethsemane [geth-SEM-an-ee]. Gethsemane
is a park. Jesus used to go there to
pray. We’re going there to stretch our
faith.
a
b c d e f See lesson linked below for Scripture
references.
Take Home Nugget
In a couple days, USA
celebrates Valentine’s Day. People fall
in love and celebrate what they think is the most precious gift of love for
another on Valentine’s Day.
The love God has for His kids
is given back to Him when we love one another.
Adapted from “Love Beyond Compare.” Dr. Charles Stanley. December 14, 2015. In Touch magazine. Georgia, USA.
J.D. Griffith
Most Recent eBook by J.D.
Griffith:
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