Advent Devotionals - Northland Church

December 25 - 1 John 3:1

As we gather today to celebrate the birth of our Savior King, I am reminded of all the times throughout Scripture that God gave His people a promise about this very day. What a gift the birth of our Savior is to us! It is a promise fulfilled in an act of love. As I have been studying God’s Word this past year, several verses that richly describe God’s love have stuck with me. They have also made me ask myself a key question: Does my love reflect His to all those I encounter? In Exodus 34:6, we see God proclaim to Moses, “‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate, gracious God, slow to anger, ABOUNDING IN LOVE and faithfulness.’” God uses Jeremiah to tell His chosen people, “‘I have loved you with an EVERLASTING LOVE; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you’” (Jeremiah 31:3). John 3:16 tells us that “God SO LOVED the world He gave His only begotten son…” Lastly, John tells us in our verse for today, “Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called the children of God! Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him” (1 John 3:1).  As we walk through our days, I pray that we desire to honor this love that God so willingly gave us by loving others through His example. In times when this calling seems hard, remember that as His children, we are made in His image and “we love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). [https://media.thechurchcoassets.com/accounts/519/2900b595-8e1c-4538-a703-ec6b880f312b-./The Promise Of Christmas (1800 x 1400 px).png]

December 24 - Ephesians 2:4-5

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5). “But God...” Those two words changed everything! Right there in Ephesians 2, Paul drops the most powerful plot twist in human history. You were spiritually flatlined—no pulse, no hope, dead in your rebellion. And that’s when His love moved heaven and earth for you! God didn’t wait for you to clean yourself up or prove your worth. He chose to love you anyway. Not with a cautious, “let’s wait and see” kind of love. No—with a marvelous and merciful love that pursues you into your darkest places and breathes resurrection life into your lifeless soul. This same love that makes you alive with Christ is the love that sent Christ to you in the first place. The baby in Bethlehem’s manger is God’s love taking on flesh and bone, entering your broken world to rescue you from death. Grace unearned, undeserved, and unstoppable—that’s the beating heart of Christmas. You can’t place it in a stocking. You can’t buy it in a store. You can’t wrap it up with a bow. You can only receive it with wonder and awe, opening your empty hands to the God who gives life to the dead. As you celebrate Christmas tomorrow, remember this: every gift under the tree is merely an echo of the ultimate Gift. God’s great love doesn’t just warm your heart; it resurrects your soul! That’s the miracle you celebrate. Those two words (“But God…”) changed everything. How will you live, knowing that you’re loved like this? [https://media.thechurchcoassets.com/accounts/519/2900b595-8e1c-4538-a703-ec6b880f312b-./The Promise Of Christmas (1800 x 1400 px).png]

December 23 - Romans 5:6-8

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8). “Is it Christmas yet?! Do we still have to wait?” My home has been ringing with these phrases for weeks! The tree is up, the stockings hung, the presents not quite wrapped. Christmas is coming! But to my kids, the wait seems endless and frustrating. If I’m honest, I also ask “yet/still” questions of a different sort. Mine are brought on by the mundane demands of daily life or by trials that overstay their welcome. (“Is it over yet? Are we still in this same place? Is my heart still struggling with this same thing?”) I get frustrated with where I am and lose sight of God’s love for me and others. Romans 5 sets my thoughts on the right course. My greatest “yet/still” in life was completely transformed by the cross! While I was yet weak, while I was still a sinner, while I could never be a righteous person, that was the moment Christ died for me. When I feel stuck and begin to doubt the love of my Father, this passage gives me great courage. He did not turn away from me when I was yet weak and still a sinner. Instead, He poured out forgiveness and love. It’s the same love that He pours into my heart daily through His Word, His Spirit, and His people as I walk through the “yet/still” challenges of life. My frustration is transformed into praise because of the love of Jesus! [https://media.thechurchcoassets.com/accounts/519/2900b595-8e1c-4538-a703-ec6b880f312b-./The Promise Of Christmas (1800 x 1400 px).png]

December 22 - 1 John 4:9-10

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).  During holiday seasons, sometimes we can feel alone and without a loving presence in our lives. This passage should always remind us that we are never alone, and we are never without the presence of love in our lives. John writes that in Jesus’ birth, the presence of God was manifested (revealed) among us. No longer would there be a barrier or distance between God’s presence and humanity, but God would take on flesh to intimately be present among us and show us His great love. And beyond that, He would go further still: while we were still in our sins and were not showing love to Him, the Father would send His Son to die on the cross. Jesus, who knew no sin, would willingly become a sacrifice for our sins on the cross, becoming that great gift of love and sacrifice. What a great blessing to have a God who would sacrifice His most precious Son to reconcile us with Himself. And what a great blessing to have our great Lord, Christ, willingly lay down His life for us as our propitiation (sacrifice). Let us cherish this great gift of the love and presence of God manifested among us, for us, and give Him great praise and gratitude for this rich, kingly gift! [https://media.thechurchcoassets.com/accounts/519/2900b595-8e1c-4538-a703-ec6b880f312b-./The Promise Of Christmas (1800 x 1400 px).png]

December 21 - Matthew 2:10

“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed” (Matthew 2:10). When I think of something that brings me joy, it doesn’t usually include months of walking on a cross-country journey. With that being said, it is estimated that the wise men walked anywhere from 500-900 miles over the course of multiple months as they sought to meet the newborn king (Matthew 2). This trek seems even more daunting considering the weather and conditions they would have faced on a journey of that magnitude, yet the wise men weren’t fazed. They were not basing their joy on current circumstances; rather, they were basing their joy on Christ and encountering Him. Too often in the business of life, especially during the holiday seasons, we allow our circumstances to dictate our emotions. When we fall into this trap, the season can become like a roller coaster of emotions, taking us all over the place. One minute, life is fantastic as you’re enjoying Christmas rituals like driving around and seeing Christmas lights. Then the next moment, you are in dismay as you realize that money is going to be tight and you try to figure out gifts for your kids. The reality is that the only true joy we can find in this life is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. As we enter into the Christmas season, we should take a lesson from the wise men: let Christ be the decider of our joy, not the circumstances we are currently walking though. [https://media.thechurchcoassets.com/accounts/519/2900b595-8e1c-4538-a703-ec6b880f312b-./The Promise Of Christmas (1800 x 1400 px).png]