Preparing Our Hearts For Christmas

This is the time of the year when we believers in the Lord Jesus Christ prepare our hearts for Christmas when we celebrate His first coming.  This is a good time for us to reflect upon God's love for each one of us.  We should remember the joy that we have from knowing the Lord Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  We need to also receive His peace into our lives by trusting in His unchanging grace and mercy.  We also should be thankful and show great gratitude to the Lord for giving us such a great hope.

We live in a world that is shrouded in darkness and wickedness and sin.  There is evil lurking in the shadows of the hearts of all people.  Our world is a fallen world and a dying one as well.  We have all sinned and have fallen short of God's high standards.  We have all gone astray.  We have all rebelled against a loving and Holy God.  We all need to be reconciled back to God.  None of us are good enough to earn forgiveness of our sins by our own good works.  We need a Savior.  God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth.  Jesus came as a baby in a manger.  He grew up and lived a perfect and sinless life on the earth.  Jesus went obediently to the Cross where He died on the Cross for our sins.  Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day and ascended to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  One day Jesus will return and bring the Kingdom of God to the earth in full completion.  The Lord didn't leave us to fend for ourselves until He returns to the earth, but He gives the Holy Spirit to indwell everyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross.

God is so very good and He is worthy of all of our praise.  May we reflect on the goodness of our God.  May we reflect on all that Jesus has accomplished for us our of His great love for us so we could be reconciled back to God.  This is a special time of the year.  This is a good time to rededicate our lives to the Lord Jesus and trust Him more.

Isaiah 9:6-7 

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 
                                                                                                       

7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

The Lord Jesus is our true hope.  The world needs hope.  Everywhere we look we see hopelessness and despair.  God made a way when there seemed to be absolutely no way.  We know that all things are possible with God.  God sent His one and only Son, Jesus, into this world to make a way for everyone to be reconciled back to God, but we must come to Him on His terms.  We must recognize that our sin separates us from God and nothing sinful can ever enter God's presence because He is Holy.  We must rely on the shed blood of Jesus Christ, a lamb without blemish.  Jesus paid the price for our sin by His own blood.  We must repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our own personal Lord and Savior.   We must come to Jesus by faith and trust in His grace.

Lord,

Thank You for Your great love for us.

Help us to prepare our hearts this advent season.

We praise Your Holy Name.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.