Bible Reading: 1 John 4:7-16

“Look! I had just the right amount of string to attach the candy cane message about Jesus to each candy cane!” Loralee declared.

“Great! Now we’re ready to deliver them,” Loralee’s mother replied.

That afternoon, Loralee and her mother knocked on doors in their neighborhood. As they strolled from house to house in crisp, cool weather, Loralee looked forward to talking with people about how the red-and-white-striped candy told the message of Jesus and the sacrifice He made to forgive people for their sins.

Standing on a broad porch, Loralee handed a candy cane to her neighbor Miss Zelda.

“I like this candy, but I’m not sure I’ll read the little story about Jesus.” Miss Zelda smiled and shut the door.

As Loralee and her mom turned back to the sidewalk, Loralee sighed. “Mama, I don’t know if this is doing any good.”

“What do you mean?” asked Mama.

“Most of our neighbors weren’t home, so we just left the candy canes hanging on their doorknobs. And the ones who were home didn’t seem to care about Jesus being the real reason for Christmas.”

“Loralee, you want others to know about Jesus, right?” Mama asked.

“Of course! I gave my life to Jesus last year and trusted Him to forgive my sins, and now I want our neighbors to trust in Him too so they can be God’s children.”

“When you began a relationship with God as His child, do you know what He poured into your heart, Loralee?”

Loralee scuffed her shoe on some fallen leaves. “I don’t know.”

“His love! The Bible tells us He pours His love into our hearts.”

Loralee smiled. “If God’s love is in my heart, that means I have God’s love to give to others.”

“Exactly!” said Mama. “People may not want to talk about their beliefs or hear about Jesus, but because you have God’s love in you, you have something special to share. Just keep sharing God’s love with others and trust Him with the rest.”

Loralee started walking faster. “Let’s go, Mama! We have more of God’s love to give to our neighbors today!”

–Allison Wilson Lee

How About You?Do you ever wonder if your acts of obedience to love others really matter? God’s Word tells us that when we trust Jesus to forgive our sins and give us new life in Him, He pours His love into our hearts. So when we show love to others, we’re sharing God’s love with them. That’s a very special gift to give! Even when no one seems to care, keep sharing God’s love and trust Him to use your gift to do good things.

Today’s Key Verse:God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (NIV) (Romans 5:5 )

Today’s Key Thought:God’s love is in His children