Light in the Darkness
Read: Isaiah 60:1-9 Arise, shine, for your light has come. (v. 1) One of the most enduring sources of Advent Bible readings is the book of Isaiah. Even if you
Ben Van Arragon December 1, 2025
As you prepare for Christmas, do you find it hard to feel the promised hope, love, joy, and peace promised in this season?
Advent is a season of waiting—but also of longing. While the world rushes to decorate, celebrate, and check every box, our souls may feel the quiet ache of deeper questions. What do I hope for? Does God’s love reach even here? Can joy really break through sorrow? Where can I find peace?
During this season, take time to light the candles of Advent. Each week, we’ll light a new candle and focus on a new theme, starting with hope, then love, joy, and peace, culminating in our shared celebration of Christmas. Drawing from the voices of prophets, psalmists, and apostles, each reflection helps you discover how God’s light shines in the very real darkness of our world—and our hearts. From Eden’s first promise to Bethlehem’s quiet miracle, you’ll follow the story of a God who draws near, redeems brokenness, and brings light that cannot be overcome.
Whether you come to this season with weariness, anticipation, or a mix of both, this devotional helps you slow down and open your heart. You’ll find a God who sees your waiting, welcomes your longing, and meets you with faithfulness.
Jesus, the Light of the world, has come—and he will come again. Until then, we wait not with empty hands, but with full hearts. With hope. With love. With joy. With peace.
Let this be a season where you not only remember the light—but walk in it.
This series was written by Ben Van Arragon, an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. After twenty years of congregational ministry, Ben now serves his denomination as a pastor wellbeing consultant in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Read: Isaiah 60:1-9 Arise, shine, for your light has come. (v. 1) One of the most enduring sources of Advent Bible readings is the book of Isaiah. Even if you
Read: Jeremiah 29:4-14 I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD. (v. 11) Taken out of context, Jeremiah 29:11 can be misleading. It’s often misread to mean
Read: Psalm 42 Why are you cast down, O my soul? (v. 5) One Christmas, my daughter set her heart on a specific gift. She heard rumors that the item
Read: Luke 1:5-17 Do not be afraid . . . for your prayer has been heard. (v. 13) The thing I find most challenging about prayer is wondering whether my
Read: Matthew 12:9-21 Behold, my servant whom I have chosen. (v. 18) I grew up in a family of modest means. This meant that at times I saw desirable things—new
Read: Romans 8:12-25 We hope for what we do not see. (v. 25) When I was young, Christmas was the highlight of my year. At times it seemed like I
Read: Exodus 34:1-10 The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. (v. 6) Sometimes I worry that the word love has
Read: Jeremiah 2:1-13 I remember the devotion of your youth. (v. 2) I once counseled a woman who was heartbroken over her daughter. The daughter, a young adult with self-destructive
Read: Isaiah 54:1-10 Your Maker is your husband. (v. 5) For many, Christmas is a season of profound loneliness. In any given community, there are people who have few friends,
Ben Van Arragon is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. After twenty years of congregational ministry, he now serves his denomination as a pastor wellbeing consultant in Grand Rapids, Michigan.