GOD CAME DOWN

ISAIAH 64:1 (CEB)
If only you would tear open the heavens and come down!

LUKE 1:31-32 (CEB/alt)
"Look!" the angel said to Mary, "You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High."

THE ESSENCE
God came down.

DAILY FODDER
We use the word "incarnation" to describe God becoming a man. When "the Son of the Most High" became incarnate, what did he have to leave behind, at least temporarily, to participate in our humanity? 

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son from Heaven to become one of us. Forgive us for bumping this truth from the center of our Christmas celebrations. Show me how to use this coming holiday as an occasion to share what you've done on our behalf. You came down to save us and to invite us to participate in the reality of Heaven. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

FOREVER LOVE

JEREMIAH 31:3 (ABP)
I've been loving you with a constant, unending love. And it is with this unfailing love that I've embraced you.

JOHN 3:16 (ABP)
God’s love for the world he created was so great that he offered up his one and only Son. And everyone who looks up to him and believes will escape the grip of death into a whole and lasting life.

THE ESSENCE
God's unique love changes everything.

DAILY FODDER
How is God's love different from the other types of love one might find in the world? How do you feel about being loved in this way?

PRAYER
God, you are great and demanding, and yet at the same time, you are so full of love that it blows our minds. We can't comprehend the depth of your love. How is it, then, that we seek out lesser loves to complete our lives? Redirect our eternal attention to what your Son has done. Refresh our lives with the reality of this love. To the extent that I accept your embrace, my life will be forever safe and complete. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

NO PEERS

2 SAMUEL 7:22 (GNT)
How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is none like you; we have always known that you alone are God.

REVELATION 22:13 (MSG)
I’m A to Z, the First and the Final, Beginning and Conclusion.

THE ESSENCE
God has no peers. 

DAILY FODDER
If God is the ultimate in reality, without peer, what would you say are the top three implications of this, for relating to him?  

PRAYER
Christ Jesus, you are the greatest—sovereign, creator, sustainer, God-in-the-flesh. No one and no thing can compare. Forgive me for valuing lesser voices and interests. Teach me how to honor you in my context. I want my life to be all about recognizing you and living according to your directives. Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.

CARING

ISAIAH 46:4 (GNT)
I am your God and will take care of you
until you are old and your hair is gray.
I made you and will care for you;
I will give you help and rescue you.

1 TIMOTHY 5:3 (NLT)
Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her.

THE ESSENCE
God commissions us to extend his care to those who are vulnerable — even into their old age. 

DAILY FODDER
How many old people do you currently have in your life? What are their unique needs?

PRAYER
Merciful God, I'm grateful for the way you take care of people. I confess that I'm a lot more selective than you. Expand my vision of those who would benefit from my presence in their lives — including the elderly. I know that I'm not getting any younger myself. Teach me to care while I still have breath. I want to participate in your care mission. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (ABP)
Our Father in Heaven,
     we hold your name in the highest regard.
Please come and establish your reign here on earth
     so that everything that happens here will align
     with what is happening in heaven.

Give us enough food for today.

Forgive us our wrongdoing,
     and we’ll forgive those who have wronged us.
Shield us from the trials and temptations that come our way.
Lastly, we pray that you will protect us from all forms of evil. Amen.