Above All Love

The poem, originally titled "God Knows" and written by Minnie Louise Haskins in 1908, is most famous for its opening preamble. ​Here is the full text: ​The Gate of the Year ​And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.” ​So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East. ​So heart be still: What need our little life, Our human life, to know, If God hath comprehension? In all the dizzy strife Of things both high and low, God hideth His intention. ​God knows. His will Is best. The stretch of years Which wind ahead, so dim To our imperfect vision, Are clear to God. Our fears Are premature; In Him, All time hath full provision. ​Then rest: un...

 

​Focus: Joy that Lasts Forever ​ 📖 The Biblical Idea (Easy English Bible): The great gift of Jesus is for everyone. It is a sign of great joy, even though Jesus was born in a simple place. ​ “Today your Saviour was born in David's city. He is the Messiah, the Lord! And this will be the sign for you: you will find the baby lying in a manger. He will be wrapped in pieces of cloth.” (Luke 2:11-12 EEB) ​The best kind of gift is one that is perfect and that you can never lose or break! ​Bonhoeffer wrote about losing all his things, which helped him understand the real gift: ​ "I used to be very fond of thinking up and buying presents, but now that we have nothing to give, the gift God gave us in the birth of Christ will seem all the more glorious; the emptier our hands, the better we understand what Luther meant by his dying words: 'We're beggars; it's true.'" ​ The Joy Won't Stop: Because Jesus went through the stable (poorness) and the cro...

1 John 4:10: "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son..." 

​Focus: Jesus Chose Small (Humility) ​ 📖 The Biblical Idea (Easy English Bible): Jesus willingly gave up His heavenly greatness to become human, showing us that love is more important than power. ​ “You must think like Christ Jesus. He was already God. But he did not think that he should try to keep on being equal with God. He made himself like a servant. He became a man.” (Philippians 2:5-7 EEB) ​When we think of someone very important, we imagine them in a big, grand place. Jesus is the King of Everything! But He came to a simple, quiet place—a stable. He slept in an animal feeding box ( manger ). ​Bonhoeffer saw that God's power is shown best in this smallness: ​ "For the great and powerful of this world, there are only two places in which their courage fails them, of which they are afraid deep down in their souls, from which they shy away. These are the manger and the cross of Jesus Christ." ​ The Meaning: Jesus did a Power Swap . He chose the lowest p...

John 1:14: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..."