Welcome to Advent—a season of fierce grace and unyielding joy. Stop. Breathe it in. The King has come, triumphing over the grave and reigning on high. Together, let’s follow the trail of His glory, stepping into the story of the Child who broke the back of darkness and carried the weary to freedom. May these devotions be a lantern for your path and a spark for your wonder.

Redemption isn’t free. It doesn’t come cheap. Freedom always demands a price, and ours wasn’t paid in gold or silver. It wasn’t signed off with ink on a piece of paper. It was sealed in blood—Christ’s blood. The Child in the manger came with a mission. His first breath was the start of a journey toward the cross, where He would give everything to buy back what was lost. All of us who are born, die. But Jesus was born to die.

Advent reminds us that love is costly. The manger wasn’t soft and sanitized—it was messy and cold, a foreshadowing of the sacrifice to come. The hands that once gripped His mother’s finger would one day grip the wood of a Roman cross. The brow kissed in Bethlehem would bear the weight of thorns. Christ didn’t hesitate. He didn’t hold back. He saw the cost, felt its weight, and paid it fully. For you.

This is the scandal of the Gospel – the infinite Creator chose to bleed for His creation. The baby wrapped in swaddling cloths came to wrap His life around our sin and break its hold forever. Advent isn’t just a celebration; it’s a call to marvel at the depth of His love and live in the freedom His sacrifice secured.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for paying the ultimate price for my redemption. Teach me to live in the light of Your sacrifice, to glorify You with my life, and to never forget the depth of Your love. Amen.

Action Point

Reflect today on what it cost Christ to redeem you. Write down one way you can glorify Him in your daily life as a response to His sacrifice.