Christmas devotion from Pastor Paul

I have much respect for Pastor Paul, head pastor at Hope Covenant church in Grand Forks. I wanted to share a devotion of his.

I pray your Christmas was amazing and blessed!
Kerri

Being Christmas:
The Gift of Love
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 1 John 4:9

“Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.” So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. Matthew 2:13-14
“Christmas, a time of God’s love manifested on the earth,” she recounted from the church Christmas Eve play she had just attended. She was home now on this crisp, cold evening, trudging from her car up the squeaky snow-covered sidewalk to the front door. “Yeah right,” she muttered. She fumbled for her keys but before opening the door it seemed the winds whispering through the leave-less trees beckoned her to follow.
She decided she could brave the cold a little longer and picked her way around the icy sidewalk and driveway to the backyard which was surrounded by tall trees leaving a dark starlit sky in the middle; the stars looked extra bright in the mini-backyard planetarium. She took a deep breath of the cool air and began to imagine what God must have felt on that cold night in Bethlehem, as He sent His only son in the form of a helpless baby. He hadn’t been this intimate with man since the Garden and He knew satan would try to kill Him within days of his arrival.
“He truly loved the world,” she murmured in awe. “To send Your Son into wickedness to save us from our own wickedness. You really had to love us . . . to love me.” With a little more energy in her step, comfort in her heart, peace in her mind, and redness on her nose, she made her way into the house., contented beyond words.
Lord, thank You for your gift of love, sending Your Son into wickedness to save us. Help me to be mindful of the sacrifice You made and the gift You gave, not just this next week but during the upcoming year as well. Help me to walk in the love that You so readily show to me.

Pastor Paul F. KnightLead Pastor of HOPE Churchwww.hopecovenantchurch.orghttp://paulpit.blogspot.com/