Views from the Pews – November 26, 2023

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Christmas is fast approaching as we close out the month of November. Of course, for the young ones, like my 3-year-old granddaughter, they think that Christmas is not coming fast enough. For them you can well understand the excitement and anticipation of this season because of the presents they are expecting to receive. There is however one gift that many people tend to forget about and don’t appreciate at this time and that is the gift of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.

When you really consider it, the reason behind this precious gift is the deep love that God has for his people. Most of us can recite John 3:16 that reminds us, that God so loved the world that He gave us his Son as a precious gift.

God himself is love, it is his very nature and as His sheep He will always want what is best for us. Each day of our lives, we as Christians need to be mindful of this. Yes, God loves the whole world, but the Christians are those who acknowledged that love and accepted the gift of Christ as Lord and Savior.

It is interesting the ways in which God reminds us of His love for us. He answers our prayers, protects us from dangers known and unknown, gives us unspeakable joy, strength and courage when needed, peace in the midst of a storm, unmerited favor, meeting our needs before we ask, convicting our hearts to correct us and giving us wisdom and directions for our daily decisions. His love can span every area of our lives if we allow Him.

As we move into this Christmas season, let us not forget the depth of love God has for us. He is our heavenly Father, who by His Spirit has shed his own love abroad in our own hearts. Let us reflect that love to those around us. How? Give a street person a meal and a bottle of water, give away the clothes that you have not worn for over a year, visit the sick and those in prison as read in Matthew 25: 32 – 46.

This season, reflect God’s love to others.

Jackie Samuda