Jeremiah 31:3b – I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you. (CSB)

Our church has a sewing group called The Thread Bearers. This Christmas, the group put together stockings filled with goodies and trinkets — some handmade and some bought. Our over-fifty-years-of-age group delivered the stockings to the homebound and those who were sick and in hospital.

My mom has dementia and is considered homebound, so she was a recipient of one of the blessing stockings. Her face was so bright as she dug through the stocking and found lip balm, tissue packs, soft peppermint candies, a pair of socks, a new toothbrush, and other goodies.

One of the goodies that caught my eye was a small handmade heart made from yellow cloth with a patch sewn in the middle of the heart. On that patch was the handwritten words, "Pocket Hug".

What a sweet gesture that was to affirm that the receiver was loved and being thought of by someone!

Oh, what a tremendous feeling it is to feel wanted, to feel loved!

Jesus' love is more than a pocket hug — it is a full-sized, tight hug, and then some. We don't need a trinket to know that, when we have the Bible to tell us what His love is like:

1 Corinthians 13:7 – [Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (CSB)

Our heavenly Father's love is unconditional and extremely strong. As we anticipate the start of a new year, isn't it the best gift ever to know that the love of Jesus is everlasting and is with us always!

Romans 8:35 – Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? (CSB)

As the new year is almost upon us, may we all remember that each step that we take is not one that we take alone, for God is with us, and we are covered with His love.

To know that, all we have to do is to keep our eyes on Him, and to dive into the Scriptures on a consistent basis.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your love which is unconditional, constant, and protective. Guide us in the new year to love You more and to love others as You would have us to love them. Amen.

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About the author:

Becky Holland <rlhga@icloud.com>
Empire, Georgia, USA
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