Good morning and Merry Christmas. As you are spending time with you family this morning opening the presents under the tree I pray your time is filled with joy and happiness. When I woke up this morning I really did not want to get out of my warm bed. Then I heard His voice calling me, asking to spend time with me. How could I say no? I had a morning date with God and this is what He gave me to share. I hope it inspires you.
A Date With God / Julie A. Sheppard
Time with God can be compared to going on a date. You see He has loved you all your life. He has pursued and shown you His love each and every day. Then the day comes when you say yes to Jesus and let Him in, but it does not end there. This is only the beginning of the relationship.
Now most of us have dated, and even if you are married now, I am sure you still have a date night with your spouse. During this time you share what is happening in your life, you try to get to know each other better. You talk and listen. Hopefully you laugh and dance, maybe even sing. You enjoy your time together and hopefully you grow closer.
A good date takes effort. You need to open yourself up to the other and in the world you risk being rejected. This however is the good part about being on a date with God, because He will never reject you. He is patient and kind. He always listens and cares about you. He loves you so much that He sacrificed His One and only Son Jesus to die for your sins and not just some of your sins all of them, and Jesus loving you willing gave His life for you. He has given to you the keys to life and victory over the grave. He has many gifts for you to receive. He is Jehovah Jireh ‘The Lord who supplies all of my needs.’
There is so much more to God and even in a life time you will never learn everything about who He is and how deep His love is for you. But don’t you want to spend the time getting closer to Him. Spend special time with Him. You can make it that special one on one time, or that fun group date. Make the time and put in the effort to get to know Him better. Just because He already knows everything about you, He would like you to get to know Him better. He is the lover of your soul.
Think about the effort you have put into going on a date. The clothes, your hair, the right perfume or cologne, and for you ladies make up. You take the time to prepare yourself. You want to make a good impression. You are hoping it will be worth it and that the date will go well. Here is the great news about your date with God, ‘It is always going to be wonderful!’ No matter when or where you spend time with God, He always has the best planned for you. Sometimes we miss out on some of the things He has for us because we are too busy looking at the clock or thinking about the problems we are having. We can also let our fear interrupt our date. We can put the blame on God even though we know it is a lie and say that He didn’t accept you for who you are, when it is actually you He was afraid f the love He has for you and you don’t see yourself as worthy(good enough/ you have done things you believe no one can forgive, etc…) Don’t let the things of this world, or even yourself, keep you from this quality time. He loves and wants to be with you. The time you spend with Him is special to Him and brings Him joy.
Your date is knocking at the door. Go enjoy yourself and let yourself fall in love with Him.
Your meal for this date;
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
John 17:24 Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Leviticus 26:11 ‘Moreover, I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not reject you.
Psalm 94:14 For the LORD will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
Psalm 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Matthew 6:25-33 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.
John 4:10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
Isaiah 43:1-3 “…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;…”
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.
Today’s readings (click below to open in new tab/window):
by Apostle Gabriel Cross
Readings: 
emotionalpeace 