2 Samuel 7:17

"Who matters to?" is a question we all must answer at some point. However, the answer lies within another question, so when this world challenges us to answer, God already has an answer waiting.

Advent serves as a season of both reflection and anticipation. Though the traditional Advent season begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, this 5-day plan can be done over any five days during the Christmas season. We’ll dive into various Scriptures, each corresponding to spiritual themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. These themes deepen our understanding of how we are called to await the coming of the Lord.

Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas Day. During this time, the Church universal is invited to become more intentional: 1) to look back in thankfulness for Jesus’ birth; and 2) to look forward in the hope of full restoration when He comes again. These reflections are designed to help you engage and embrace this season.

In meditation years ago, I realized there are words God never seems to speak as humans do. One is “Sorry,” a word born from sorrow, imperfection, helplessness, or wrongdoing. Scripture shows that although God comforts His people and even fixes their problems, He never offers a helpless apology. I later noticed a similar pattern with “No” concerning the requests of His children. This does not mean the word never appears in Scripture, but that God does not outrightly reject His children’s requests. Instead, He answers differently. In this devotional, we’ll examine moments where God responded with “Instead” rather than denial.