The Most Familiar of Verses
By Carolyn Hulliberger
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
Fa-la-la-la-la---la-la-la-la! Or maybe it should be….
Bah Humbug!
This year has been a challenge for me to get “up” for Christmas. This season has brought me close to people who are deeply hurting, dealing with deaths of body, dreams, and hope. I am reminded daily of the darkness of the world we live in, and feel powerless to help those I care about.
Ever feel that way?
This week, though, I felt gently reminded of the first verse that I ever memorized as a child…John 3:16. There is power and simplicity in this verse.
God Loved.
God Gave.We Believe.
We Live.
When I trust that God loved me enough that He would sacrifice His Son, so that I could forever live with Him, in eternal companionship where there is no sickness, death, evil, or loss….that is AWESOME! And that relationship with Him is available as His gift to anyone!
Ladies, isn’t this verse the essence of the Christmas story? God still loves, God still gives. Have you believed the promise of John 3:16 for yourself?
This Christmas, we’ll all hear about Mary, Joseph, the angels, shepherds and wise men. We’ll eat cookies, exchange gifts and sing a few carols. But this year, my Christmas will revolve around John 3:16.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Where is your heart this Christmas week? Have you unwrapped and accepted God’s great gift to you?2. Share John 3:16’s promise with someone who hasn’t yet unwrapped God’s gift to her.
FURTHER READING:
1 John 4:9-10In addition to being a wife and mother of two, Carolyn serves as Oakwood Church’s treasurer for Women’s Ministry and as a junior high girls’ small group leader.
