December 25 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

Together with millions of people all over the world, we remember today that God has shown us his love. Now we join the host of thankful people and say, "Thank you, heavenly Father, for the gift of Jesus Christ. Thank you for showing us how much you love us."

The love of God is directed to the world. "God so loved the world!' The world means all people. We may not limit this gift of God's love to ourselves, our family, our group, our nation. God so loved the world!

God loved. Therefore God gave. It may be possible to give without love, but it is impossible to love without giving.

God gave his Son, his one and only Son. That's how much he loved us. In the giving of his Son, God's love has been revealed. We must read the story carefully and believe it with our hearts. A child was born in Bethlehem. By that child, God shows how much he loves us, for that child was God's Son.

Nothing else will convince us that God loves us. You may be enjoying kindness this Christmas, and other good things, but there is always enough unhappiness that we sometimes wonder if God really loves the world. We know God's love not by looking at the gifts on our table but by looking at his gift in the stable. There, as the proof that he loves us, God has given all he has to give. It's all in this child, wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.

God's only Son was "given" to us. Now we may receive him. We must go on our knees and accept this gift. Please do not refuse what God's love has prepared.

A thousand tongues cannot describe the riches of this gift. "Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." In this gift we receive the Giver. In Bethlehem we meet our God. In Jesus we have life.

REFLECTIONS

Thank God for giving us all he has to give!

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.