CHRISTMAS - The Greatest Story of Love

To love and be loved is the greatest joy in the world!

Who understands the mystery of love? Where did it originate? Why is it the force that makes the world go round and round?

Love began with God for God is the author of love! (I John 4:8.) It began before Christ was born in Bethlehem on that first Christmas morning. "For God so loved rhe world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

God flung the galaxies and stars into space. He hung the sun and moon on nothing. He spoke the worlds into existence and when everything was ready, then He made man. God knew the future of all things and knew nothing could move and motivate mankind like knowing someone cared for him and loved him; so He invested in man the capacity to love and be loved and ordained it to be the powerful force that moves the world.

The Bible tells us "...love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love. Rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned." (Song of Solomon 8:6b-7 NIV New Student Bible.) A commentary on these scriptures tells us further: "Death sweeps all things away. It yields to no one, and once you are in its power you cannot escape. The same is true with love. It takes control of your life, and like a gigantic fire, it cannot be doused. Love must be treated with the greatest caution and respect." (Commentary on Song of Solomon 8:6, NIV New Student Bible.)

The Holy Spirit inspired this translation and commentary in order to show us the power and depth of human love in words we could understand. The reason: so that we might comprehend the power and depth of God's love, expressed in His Word, that we could understand, --love so great that we could grasp the awesome purpose of Christ's birth: to be born as a baby, to grow up into manhood experiencing the problems of life, then to die on a cross to redeem us from the power of those problems when we accepted Him to be Lord of our lives. His ultimate purpose was that He might dwell in our hearts with peace, joy and a knowledge that His salvation offers and promises all that He desires to be to us. To confirm this, the Bible says, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height and TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST, which passeth knowledge." (Ephesians 3:17 and 4:16.)

It's Christmas, the greatest story of love! It's the time of giving! Familiar carols and songs are filling the air wherever we go. Decorating, baking, reproducing the drama of that wonderful day, shopping for gifts and remembering those we love and appreciate have taken priority for these exciting days. While busy with your details be sure to prepare a gift for Jesus. After all it's His birthday. Since He is not physically here, give a gift to someone in need who may not be able to return the favor. Jesus said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40) If you cannot bless someone during the holidays, support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan by praying peace into their lives while they are far from home and praying that many of them will be able to get long distance calls through to family and loved ones from wherever they are on Christmas Day.

To all who are reading this post, God bless you today! Merry Christmas!