12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS DEVOTIONAL
“THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS”
1 CORINTHIANS 13:13
BY REV. ZETTIE WOODSON
“ON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME…THREE FRENCH HENS.”
AS WE CELEBRATE THE CHRISTMAS SEASON, AND THINK ABOUT THE ELEMENTS IN THE THIRD DAY OF THE CHRISTMAS SONG, LET US DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO WHAT PAUL WROTE IN 1 CORINTHIANS 13:13, “AND NOW THESE REMAIN: FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE. BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE.”AS THE VERSE SAYS, MY TRUE LOVE, (WHICH IS JESUS) GAVE TO ME… THREE FRENCH HENS, (WHICH REPRESENTS FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE). THESE THREE HENS MAKE UP A TRIAD OF TRUTHS ABOUT GOD AND US. AS WE CELEBRATE THE CHRISTMAS SEASON, WE NEED THESE THREE HENS FOR A JOYFUL HOLIDAY. THEY WORK TOGETHER TO BRING US TO GOD. LOVE WILL HELP OUR FAITH REMAIN HOPEFUL AND OUR HOPE REMAIN FAITHFUL. WE LIVE BY FAITH, THEREFORE, HOPE AND LOVE ARE CONNECTED TO FAITH, AND THEY ARE TIED TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. WE ARE GOD’S INVENTION, BUILT BY HIM, AND AS OUR MAKER, HE DESIGNED US TO FUNCTION AND PRODUCE. WE OPERATE ON FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE, WE GET OUR NOURISHMENT FROM THESE THREE HENS, EVERY LIVING HUMAN BEING WAS INTENDED TO FUNCTION THROUGH FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE. LET US LOOK AT THE FIRST HEN, WHICH IS FAITH. HEBREWS 11:1
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SAYS, “NOW FAITH IS BEING SURE OF WHAT WE HOPE FOR AND CERTAIN OF WHAT WE DO NOT SEE.” THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD; BECAUSE ANYONE WHO COMES TO HIM MUST BELIEVE THAT HE EXISTS EVEN THOUGH YOU CANT SEE HIM. THE NEXT HEN IS HOPE; THE BIBLE REFERS TO GOD AS THE GOD OF HOPE. WE ALL NEED HOPE TO MAKE IT FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT; WE NEED A REASON TO GO ON, HOPING THAT THERE IS SOMETHING MORE. SOMETIMES WE MAY LOSE SIGHT OF WHY WE ARE HERE, BUT GOD BREATHE HOPE INTO OUR HEARTS. THE NEXT HEN IS LOVE, THIS IS THE ONLY TRULY ETERNAL, SELF-EXISTENT ATTRIBUTE OF GOD. GOD’S LOVE WAS ALWAYS IN ACTION TROUGH ALL ETERNITY PAST. THROUGH GOD, CHRIST SHOWERS US WITH HIS UNENDING LOVE, HE CARES ABOUT EVERY ONE OF US, HE INVITES US INTO HIS LOVE, GOD TRUSTED US WITH THE MOST PRECIOUS GIFT HE COULD GIVE, HIS SON, JESUS, WHO LAID DOWN HIS LIFE SO WE COULD RECEIVE GOD’S LIFE IN US SO HE CAN WORK THROUGH US. 1 JOHN 4:11 SAYS, “DEAR FRIEND, SINCE GOD SO LOVED US, WE ALSO OUGHT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.”SO AS WE CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS, KNOW THAT THERE IS A FREE GIFT THAT IS RECEIVED BY FAITH, KNOW THAT THERE IS HOPE FOR US, AND LIVE A LIFE OF LOVE. REMEMBER THE THREE HENS, FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE. AMEN.