Unwrapping His Christmas Presence
Renee Swope
“… The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)
“Though the fig tree does not blossom And there is no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive fails And the fields produce no food … Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in LORD; I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation!” Habakkuk 3:17-18 (AMP)
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1a-b (NIV)
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
“And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden …” Isaiah 58:11 (ESV)
“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:14 (NIV)
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” Colossians 4:6 (ESV)
“For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.” James 1:23-24 (NLT)
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Philippians 2:5-7 (NIV)
“The LORD is my shepherd … your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:1, 4 (ESV)
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)
“… The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (NIV)
“When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ They...
Gracious God, on this fourth Sunday of Advent, we open our hearts in quiet expectation and love. As we draw near to the celebration of Christ’s birth, help us to welcome Him with faith and...