Monday, December 09, 2013

The Second Candle: Anticipating Love

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine,
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and Angels gave the sign.
-Christina Rossetti

This week, we are anticipating love.

The promise of the Christ-child, coming to the earth, was a promise filled with love. Jeremiah tells Israel that the Lord has loved them with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). In that same chapter, Jeremiah tells them of the new covenant that God will establish with his people. God was saying, I have loved you always, and from my love and mercy, we will establish a covenant.

In 1 John 4, John tells us more explicitly, love comes from God, and God is love. Whoever is born of God and knows God, knows love. What a beautiful thing! This is the kind of love God has for us: it is all-encompassing, surrounding us, changing us.

When the Word became flesh (John 1:14), love came to earth in the form of Jesus. And this was how God showed his love among us (1 John 4:9).

Love is here. Accept Him.

Let us light the candle of love in our hearts, keeping that candle aflame, for we know that God is for us.

Be blessed and shine with the light of love!


2 comments:

  1. Great post Shanique. I am really focusing on the concept of "waiting" a lot like anticipating. The Jews waited for the coming of the Messiah and we proactively wait and anticipate his return.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Jon! And I definitely agree with you! Not just in anticipating his coming or his return, but also waiting on God's timing in our approach to life.

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A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—
and how good is a timely word! -Prov 15:23