Scripture:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16
Devotional:
We end this Advent season where it all began — with love.
Not the gentle, sentimental kind we see on Christmas cards, but the fierce, protective love of God that moves. The love that crossed heaven’s distance and took on flesh. The love that wrapped itself in swaddling cloth to reach a broken world.
Bethlehem was quiet again. The shepherds had gone home. The angels’ song had faded into memory. But in the stillness, God was still at work.
Joseph woke to a startling dream: “Get up. Take the child and His mother. Go.”
There was danger coming. The tiny life sleeping beside him — the very Son of God — was now the target of earthly kings.
So Joseph obeyed. No time to plan. No light of dawn. Just a step of trust into the darkness.
Can you picture it? Mary clutching the Child, Joseph leading them along the narrow road out of Bethlehem — tired, afraid, but held together by one thing: love.
Because “God so loved the world.”
That same love led them to Egypt. That same love guarded the Messiah. And that same love still leads us today — through uncertainty, through fear, through every night road we can’t yet see the end of.
Christmas is not only the story of love arriving.
It’s the story of love leading — a God who doesn’t just send us His Son, but walks with us every step of the way.
Application:
Where do you need to trust that God’s love is leading you — even when you don’t understand the path?
Prayer:
Father, thank You for loving the world enough to give Jesus. Help me to trust that Your love never leaves, never loses its way, and always leads me home.
Family Advent Activities
1. “Journey to Egypt” Map Craft
Draw or print a simple map showing Bethlehem, Egypt, and a path between. Use yarn, stickers, or dotted lines to trace the journey Joseph and Mary took.
As you create it, talk about times your family has had to move, change plans, or trust God in the unknown. End by writing across the map: “God’s Love Leads.”
2. “Footsteps of Faith” Walk
Bundle up and take an evening walk by flashlight or candlelight. Each person names one place or season where they’ve seen God’s love guide them. End the walk by reading John 3:16 aloud and praying together, thanking God for leading your family through every step.
Recipe Options:
1. Trail Mix of Trust
Mix together honey-roasted nuts, pretzels, mini marshmallows, dried fruit, and a handful of gold-wrapped candies. As you stir, talk about how every ingredient represents a piece of Joseph’s journey: sweet, salty, hard, and good — all guided by God’s love.
2. Star Path Pastries
Use crescent-roll dough or puff pastry strips; twist each into a star shape. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake until golden. As you eat, remember the star that led the wise men and the same God who led Joseph by night — the God whose love still lights our way.
