5 Day Devo

Day 1: The Mountain of Hope

Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5

Devotional:  Rivers don't flow uphill—yet Isaiah envisions all nations streaming toward God's mountain like water defying gravity. This impossible image reveals a profound truth: we cannot reach God through our own effort. Our natural tendency, like water, is to flow away from Him, downward into sin and self-reliance. But Advent announces the miracle: God draws us to Himself. He reverses the natural order through grace. As you begin this Advent season, release the burden of climbing to God. Instead, recognize how He is already pulling you toward Himself through His Word, His people, and His Spirit. The mountain has been established; you need only let Him carry you there.

Reflection: Where have you been exhausting yourself trying to reach God instead of receiving His grace?

Day 2: Honest Confession, Abundant Grace

Reading: Isaiah 1:2-20

Devotional:  God doesn't ignore our sin—He confronts it with truth and covers it with mercy. Before Isaiah's beautiful vision of hope comes the uncomfortable reality: we are rebellious, unfaithful, laden with guilt. The Advent message doesn't float above our brokenness; it enters directly into it. Just as Christ was born in a stable among animals, God's grace meets us in our mess. This week, don't rush past the confession as part of your prayers. Linger there. Name your specific failures, your wandering heart, your self-reliance. The gospel isn't diminished by your honesty—it shines brighter. God's promise comes specifically to sinners who couldn't save themselves. That's you. That's all of us.

Reflection: What sins have you been minimizing that need honest confession today?

Day 3: Welcomed by the Welcoming One

Reading: Romans 15:1-7

Devotional:

"We have not welcomed one another as we have been welcomed." These confession words sting because they're true. We gather at holidays with rules: no politics, no religion, no uncomfortable topics. Then afterward, we gossip about everything we avoided. We're terrible at gathering—but God is masterful at it. He welcomes tax collectors and sinners, Pharisees and prostitutes, you and me. Christ didn't come for the perfectly prepared but for the hopelessly broken. Andrew understood this when he told Peter, "Come and see." He didn't wait until Peter was ready; he simply invited him to encounter Jesus. This Advent, practice God's kind of welcome. Invite someone into God's presence without prerequisites.

Reflection: Who needs your invitation to "come and see" Jesus this season?

Day 4: Swords into Plowshares

Reading: Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:1-5

Devotional:

Imagine a world where weapons become farming tools, where instruments of death are transformed into instruments of life. Isaiah's vision seems impossibly distant amid our world's violence, division, and hatred. Yet this is precisely what Christ does in individual hearts now—and what He will complete when He returns. Every sword beaten into a plowshare is a miracle of redemption. Every sharp word softened, every grudge released, every enemy loved reflects this coming kingdom. Advent reminds us that peace isn't achieved through human effort but through divine intervention. Christ's first coming brought peace between God and humanity. His second coming will complete the work, ending all war forever. Until then, let your life preview that coming peace.

Reflection: What "sword" in your life needs to become a "plowshare"—what destructive pattern could God transform into something life-giving?

Day 5: Walking in His Light

Reading: 1 John 1:5-10; Ephesians 5:8-14

Devotional: "Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord." Isaiah's invitation concludes his vision with a call to action—but notice, we don't create the light; we walk in it. Christ has already illuminated the path. He has prepared the way. Our task is simply to follow where He leads. Walking in light means our sins are exposed, but here's the miracle: whatever is revealed in light becomes light through forgiveness. Darkness cannot survive in His presence. This Advent, as you light candles each week—hope, peace, joy, love—remember they point to the Light of the World. He doesn't ask you to be the light; He asks you to walk in His. The path is clear. The destination is sure. Come, walk with Him.

Reflection: What area of your life needs to be brought into Christ's light today?

Advent Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You are the Light that shines in our darkness. Draw us uphill to Your presence like rivers flowing against nature. We confess we cannot reach You by our own strength. Forgive our sin, our wandering, our unwelcoming hearts. Transform our weapons into tools of peace. Help us walk in Your light this Advent season, anticipating both Your first coming in humility and Your second coming in glory. Amen.