Today’s Scripture: John 1:14-18
14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”
16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
Today’s Devotional
I was once given a piece of advice that I’ve found useful over the years. The advice was this: when you move to a new place – move there.
I know, it sounds quite obvious, doesn’t it? And yet if we think about it, there have most likely been times when we moved to a new town but never “moved” there – certainly not in our hearts and minds. While we were physically in the new place, emotionally we were still in the place we left – or in the place we were looking to go next. But the advice this person gave me was good. When you move somewhere – actually move there, get to know the place, put down roots if possible. Or, in the words of our text today, “make your home” there.
The Message translation of verse 14 says that the Word “moved into the neighborhood”. I think that’s a good way to put it.
This is a radical fact. The Word, which existed before eternity – through which the whole world was created – that Word became human and moved into the neighborhood. Think about that. Would you want to leave heaven and come here?
And yet that is exactly what happened: Emmanuel – God with us. God moved in – really moved in.
Why is this important? Because now God knows. God knows what’s it’s like to live here. God knows what temptations we face, what injustice there are, what struggles we have. God knows what it’s like to grieve, to feel pain, to be overwhelmed with anxiety and fear. God knows because God’s been here as a human.
During this crazy time we are living in, it can seem like we are all alone and no one cares or understands. I get that. But the fact is God cares because God understands. God understands because God’s been through it all.
Today, rest in the fact that when you tell God about what’s happening in your life, God knows all about it because God lived in the middle of it – just like us.
Today’s Prayer
God we pray that you will remind us this day that you know what we are going through. You know, and you care. We put our trust in you. We give you our concerns, our fears, our worries in the knowledge that you know all about them.
Amen
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