Dearest Readers,
Welcome to the fourth week of Advent. Christmas is almost here! Today we’re lighting the Candle of Love to remember that the birth of Jesus isn’t just a historical event we’re celebrating, but it’s God’s greatest act for showing how much He loves us. The Love Candle, also known as the Angel’s Candle, commemorates the angel who appeared before lowly shepherds to announce:
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you...” (Luke 2:11)
The circumstances God chose for the birth of His Son hold special messages for us. Jesus was born long ago, and lifestyles have drastically changed, so it would be easy to feel disconnected and think Jesus came for the people who lived 2,000 years ago and not really for us. But the shepherds felt that way too. They didn’t think they were important enough, yet they were the first to hear the Messiah had arrived. God specifically sought them out in the quiet of the night and surrounded them with angels.
We could also feel lost in the crowd, thinking Jesus came to save mankind, not us personally. But the message from God’s angel was that Jesus was born “to you.” Not just to mankind, but to us personally.
And last, we might think our lives are too messy to be worthy of Jesus’s love, especially given the ultimate sacrifice He made. But consider this: God chose a manger—an animal trough—for His newborn Son to rest. Our all-powerful God could have arranged for a perfect setting, a plush, regal bed, perfectly befitting for a king, but He chose a humble – messy – stable. We are worthy, no matter what our circumstances are. God doesn’t expect perfection; He meets us where we are, in the midst of our mess.
You matter to God. He loves you dearly for who you are, and He will go to great lengths for you to be close to Him. This is the way Jesus explained it:
“If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.” (Matthew 18:12-14)
God will leave the 99 to find you. You are not lost in the crowd, you are not unimportant, and your life does not have to be perfect to be worthy of Him. God cherishes the person He created, which is you!
I’ll be back on Tuesday for our last Advent celebration of the season. On Christmas Eve we’ll light a new candle—the Christ Candle—to celebrate His arrival. Until then, remember every day that you are worthy, and God loves you!
Verses for the Week of Love
Luke 2:8-14
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
1 John 4:9-11 (Amp)
By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His [One and] only begotten Son [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind] into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath]. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us [in this incredible way], we also ought to love one another.
Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
