Read His Words Before Ours!
John 3:16-18
Psalm 89:24-37
Colossians 1:15-17
2 Corinthians 9:15 
As I write this, we’re in the middle of fall. Halloween is just around the corner and our days are filled with cool temperatures, apple-scented candles, and brightly colored leaves. I love fall, but you know what I love more? Christmas.
It’s the most wonderful time of year. I love the lights, the songs, the decorations, the gifts, the church services, and the parties. I love spending time with loved ones and serving in special ways.
There are so many things that I love about the Christmas season and
I want to do All. Of. The. Things.
Just this morning, I was browsing Pinterest for Christmas tradition ideas. I came across many pins that featured some version of a Christmas Bucket List – activities you should do during the Christmas season. They included baking Christmas cookies, going to see Christmas lights, and having a Christmas movie marathon. I love all of those things, but the more I kept scrolling, the higher my anxiety rose. It’s only October and I was already feeling the pressure to have an amazing Christmas season filled with amazing Christmas activities!
We all know that it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness and the show of the season, but God desires more for us than an Instagram-worthy Christmas. God cares about the joy we experience both during Christmas and after, but His heart for us is that we would be enthralled with Him in deeper ways.
He longs for us to dig deep with Him, and find that knowing Him not only gives us depth to enjoy Christmas, but to keep walking richly in joy even after the tree is down, pie is eaten, and parties are over.
When the day we’ve spent so long preparing for is over, and all the boxes are put away and the gifts all unwrapped, the best gift is still there….ever available, ever new, always open, but always still waiting to be unwrapped just a little bit more.
Praise be to God for His indescribable gift!
Beyond the activities, beyond the parties, the cookies, the snowmen, and Christmas lights.
Far beyond every checkmark on your Christmas Bucket List, lies the Savior.
Sure, a babe in a manger, incredible!
Deeper still, the unfathomable sacrifice at the cross where He became sin for our sake; inconceivable!
Fuller and ever more profound, His imminent return. While, in the meantime, He offers Himself totally and completely in intimate relationship with us that we might know Him!
Him.
The Lord of Creation!
The Savior of the World!
The God of the Universe!
The Author of our Salvation!
The Lover of our souls!
And He invites us to know Him.
More now than we did yesterday.
More tomorrow than we will today.
That Christmas baby boy was indeed an “indescribable gift” as His presence is living and active just as much today in this moment as when He spoke the world into being, when He entered humanity as a babe, and when He defeated death on the cross.
That frustrating relational exchange you had today?
He was there, and He had more for you.
Those financial troubles that hang heavy on your mind?
He is there, and He has more for you.
That big unknown about your future?
He is already there, and He has more for you.
Always More.
More of His character to uncover.
Deeper truths to apply to your everyday life.
Greater love to pour over your life and the lives of those around you.
As we move into a new year, don’t let the “bottom out” feeling of packing away Christmas settle in on you. Remember that what made Christmas special is still waiting to be discovered. It’s not the perfect tree or the image you couldn’t wait to post to social media, it’s the Savior who offers His life to you at Christmas, at Easter, and everyday in between.
May our delight be found each day as we reach for the bran new mercies of God waiting for us
and may our heart’s cry ever be, Jesus, take me deeper!
Join me and make space to know Him deeper today than we did yesterday!
*written with Rebecca Adams
Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Space Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies in Space!