Here is today’s devotion to start your day.
Available now at Power, Love & Miracles:
Saints, Sinners, and Scandals: Prophecies of the Messiah: Longings Fulfilled [PLM+]
Christmas: When Power Bows to Providence. The Bible Unplugged podcast, episode 68
Sunset’s Dawn, Part 21. Jake introduces Jen to Mendy
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Scripture: Micah 5:2
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.”
Reflection
Bethlehem and Golgotha—two hills, two moments, one mission.
The cradle and the cross are not separate stories. They are the same path of redemption, beginning in birth and ending in death… and then, new life. From the wood of the manger to the wood of the cross, Jesus walked the road of sacrifice from the very beginning.
Bethlehem was never just about warmth and wonder. It was about incarnation with intention.
Jesus didn’t come simply to inspire. He came to save. Not just to teach, but to die. Not just to be among us, but to become like us in every way—even unto death. Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be ancient in origin, eternal in purpose, and willing to be broken for the sake of love.
And it began in the smallest of places.
The Christmas story finds its fulfillment not in sentimentality, but in surrender. From Bethlehem’s birth pangs to Golgotha’s final breath, Jesus shows us the heart of God: fierce, humble, holy love that will not stop until death is undone.
Christmas isn’t the end of the story. It’s the beginning of the rescue.
Centering Prayer
Lamb of God,
You were born to give Yourself away. Help me hold the cradle and the cross together. Let the sweetness of Your birth never overshadow the sacrifice of Your love. May I live in the light of both—redeemed, surrendered, and awakened to grace. – Amen
Practice for Today
Read Micah 5:2–5 slowly. Let it reframe Christmas as the beginning of Jesus’ mission and reflect on what His birth cost—and what it means for me now.
Journaling Prompt
How does seeing Christmas, in the light of the cross, deepen my appreciation for what Jesus came to do?
Blessing for the Day
Let Bethlehem point you beyond the manger,
And the cradle remind you of the cross.
This child was born to bear your sin.
And because of Him, your story ends in resurrection.
Pray As You Go
Breathe in: From cradle to cross…
Breath out: … you came for me
