Devotionals for the Heart: Advent

Advent Season
A devotional by Heidy De La Cruz

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21 (NIV)

Advent season is such a special season.

It’s a time for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas. According to Crosswalk.com, the word “advent” comes from the Latin word adventus which means, “coming” or “arrival”.

This season is also used to celebrate the new life, such as when someone accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior and also the anticipation of Jesus coming again. Like it says in Hebrews 9:28 (NIV), “so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

There are different ways people celebrate the Advent season, but it’s usually based on the themes of the four weeks of Advent. According to Crosswalk.com, “The purpose of each theme is to spend time reflecting on the true meaning of the season – the life of Jesus Christ.” People read scriptures on their own and in church, that reflect the theme of each week. Week 1 is “Hope”, Week 2 is “Preparation”, Week 3 is “Joy”, and Week 4 is “Love.” There are also four candles lit for each Sunday of Advent, which correspond to the themes of each week as well. The candles are usually placed around a wreath.

This year is the first year my family and I are starting an Advent tradition. My husband and I started reading an Advent Bible plan on YouVersion called “Advent: The Journey to Christmas.” It’s 25-day plan where we read a devotional and a few Bible verses each day. We started the plan on Dec. 1 and will finish on Christmas Day (Dec 25). I’m hoping that we can continue this tradition every year. I also hope that as my daughter gets older and understands more of the Bible, we can include her in reading the plan with us.

The plan really breaks down the meaning of Jesus coming to this world. One day that stood out to me was the devotional named “The Great Exchange.” It says that Jesus came to give us the gifts of forgiveness, healing, acceptance, and peace. But those gifts were not cheap. Jesus paid the price for us (John 3:16) by experiencing the most significant rejection. And because of this, we don’t have to pay the price (Romans 6:23). How wonderful is that? It’s not something we can ever repay nor something that we deserve, but God loves us so much that He sent His Son to save us and reconcile us to Him.

The devotional is followed by the verse Isaiah 53:3-5 (NIV), “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely, he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

This Advent season, I hope you take some time to reflect on the meaning of Christmas. Dig deep and ask God to reveal to you how deep His love is for you and how much it meant for Jesus to come down to Earth to save us all.

Let’s Pray: God, I pray for those who are lost and need to find their way to You. I pray for those who want to grow closer to You and are unsure how. I pray that You will lead them to You. I want to thank You for your covenant, promises, and love for us because it is truly unconditional. I pray that in this Advent season, more people are saved and learn who Jesus was. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

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Author Bio:

Hello, my name is Heidy (Reynoso) De La Cruz.

I am Dominican-American and I’m passionate about writing! I write poetry, encouraging blog posts about personal experiences and any message that God has stored in my heart. I am working on publishing my first poetry book.

First and foremost, I am a daughter of Jesus Christ. I am also a wife and a mother. I have my master’s degree in Healthcare Administration through Belhaven University’s online course. I have my bachelor’s degree in Science with the concentration of Psychology and Healthcare Administration.

I currently work in the medical field as a Medical Billing and Coding Specialist, and I’ve been in the medical field for the last six years. I love my career!

My hobbies include writing, reading, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts, traveling, and spending time with my family.

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Connect with Heidy:
Blog: https://heidyreynoso.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidy.delacruz13/
Read my poetry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidyspoems/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heidyreynoso13
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heidyreynoso13