Day 1 | Eyes of Love

Command:

“I will be found by you” Jeremiah 29:14 (NIV)

Read:

“Though He was in the form of God, He chose not to cling to equality with God; But He poured Himself out to fill a vessel brand new; a servant in form and a man indeed. The very likeness of humanity…” Philippians 2:6-7 (VOICE)

“So Jesus is the One whom God raised from the dead. And we are all witnesses to this.” Acts 2:32

Reflect:

A mother’s gaze, or a father’s--if he is the primary caregiver--determines more than you might realize about how you come to see God, yourself, your place in the world, and how you view the people around you. Eye gaze creates an all-important connection in early parental bonding and is necessary for healthy emotional development to occur. The simple meeting of the eyes can evoke positive feelings of love and safety.

If you are a loving person today, you likely received a loving look from your mother and your father in the first years of your life. It has been said we often seek that connection for the rest of our lives: someone delighting in us with unconditional love the way our early caregivers did. If you did not experience such loving looks from your parents, I hope you have found other compassionate people to reflect that love for you. Receiving that love is required for us to turn around and give it to someone else.

Whenever I hear the question, “Who is Jesus?” I immediately think, “God with a face.” Jesus left Heaven and took on human flesh. This was the way he chose to come into the earth. The way I am wired, I can find it difficult to connect with a theological concept. In Jesus, God took on human form: a human face, human eyes, and human endearment. God became someone I could fall in love with. God was given a face and a heart in Jesus.

React:

Close your eyes and imagine looking into the eyes of Jesus. Feel his invitation into a loving relationship that can radically change the way you love others.

Pray:

God, thank you for sending us Jesus. Help us to trust that his love is the missing piece in our lives. Prompt us to lean in and feel the way your delight in your children.