Start Advent With Joy: 5-Minute Bible Devotions
Start Advent with Joy – in just five minutes a day.
This short Advent devotional series helps you find real joy in a hard world. Each day you get a 5-minute Bible devotional with a simple next step and a short prayer. You can watch with a cuppa before work, on your lunch break, or before bed.
Together we look at joy in tears, joy in uncertain times, joy instead of grumbling, joy beyond the grave, joy in our past, present and future, joy in community, and joy as a witness to the world. These Advent devotions are honest about pain but rooted in the hope of Jesus.
In this week’s Advent devotional series you will:
Find joy when you feel like weeping
Swap grumbling for gratitude in daily life
Face death and loss with resurrection hope
Discover joy in your past, present, and future with God
Let your joy become a living signpost to Jesus
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Living Between Tears and Joy
Monday 15 December 2025
When was the last time you laughed so much it hurt? Maybe it was at a family meal. Maybe it was with friends after band practice or school. You almost forgot what had been worrying you. For a moment, joy broke through.
Psalm 126 begins with that kind of memory. When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! The people remembered a season when God felt close. They had songs on their lips. They could not stop talking about his goodness. They said, “Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us. What joy!”
Maybe you can remember a time like that. A summer school. A Sunday at your corps or church. A prayer time in your kitchen. You knew God was real. You felt full of hope.
But the psalm does not stay there. Very quickly the tone shifts. The people ask, Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert (Psalm 126:4). They find themselves in a dry place. Tears flow more easily than laughter. They are back to worrying about crops, money, safety, the future. It sounds a lot like life today.
You might be there now. Your health is fragile. Your job feels shaky. You dread Christmas because of an empty chair at the table. You love Jesus, but joy feels out of reach.
Into that place, God gives a promise. Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy (Psalm 126:5). He does not tell us to pretend. He does not say, “Cheer up, it will all be fine”. He says, “Bring your tears to me. Let me turn them into seed”.
Tears are a sign that you care. You care about your children. You care about your friends. You care about your corps or church and your community. You care about justice and poverty and war. You care about people who do not yet know Christ. God takes that tender heart and says, “Let’s plant”.
So how do we plant in tears? We keep turning up. We show up in worship even when we feel flat. We pray one more time for the child who has wandered. We keep giving, even when money is tight. We stay kind in the workplace, in the staff room, in the classroom, in the queue at the supermarket. We look for the person on the edge and draw them in. We say, “Lord, use even this season for your glory”.
Advent helps us here. It sits in the middle of the darkness of winter. The days are short. The nights are long. Yet we light candles. We sing about joy. Why? Because we are not waiting for a feeling. We are waiting for a Person.
Jesus came once, right into the tears of this world. He was born into poverty. He was hunted as a baby. He was misunderstood. He was rejected. He wept. He went to the cross carrying all our sin and sorrow. Then he rose again. He turned the grave into a doorway of joy.
And Jesus is coming again. This is our sure hope. One day he will wipe away every tear. One day there will be no more sickness or war or abuse. One day joy will not be a visitor. It will be the air we breathe in God’s presence.
So, what does it mean to choose joy when you want to weep? It means you hold on to that future in the present. You say, “Lord, I do not feel joyful,
but I choose to trust your promise. I choose to act in love today”.
Next step for today: Ask God to show you one place where you can plant joy. It might be your home, your workplace, your school or college, your street, your corps or church, or your friendship group. Then do one small thing. Write a card. Make a phone call. Invite someone for a meal. Volunteer for a shift. Give a gift in secret. Pray for a neighbour by name.
Let’s pray:
Lord, you know the tears I carry today. Thank you that you do not waste them. Thank you for the joy I have tasted before. Thank you for the joy that is still to come. In this in-between time, help me to trust you. Show me where to plant joy. Use my life to bring hope to others, until the day you turn every tear into a shout of praise. Amen.
Beauty for Ashes in a Breaking World
Tuesday 16 December 2025
If you watch the news, it can feel like the world is shaking. Wars rage. Prices rise. The future feels foggy. Maybe your own life feels the same. You lie awake at night and your thoughts run wild. What if I lose my job? What if my children struggle? What if I cannot pay the bills?
Into that kind of world, God speaks a different word. Listen to this promise from Isaiah 61:1–3:
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me,
for the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the broken-hearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the LORD’s favour has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the LORD has planted for his own glory.
These words point us to Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus reads this passage in the synagogue and says, The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day (Luke 4:21b). He is the one who brings good news, comfort, freedom, and joy.
The ashes, the mourning, and the despair are real. God does not pretend that life is fine. He sees the broken-hearted. He knows the families living under threat of war. He knows the parents choosing between heating and food.
But he does not leave us there. He promises a crown of beauty for ashes. Think about ashes for a moment. They are what is left when the fire has destroyed everything. Maybe that is how you feel about your life or even your faith. Burnt out. Used up. Nothing left but a grey pile.
Jesus steps into that mess. He doesn’t wait until you have tidied yourself up. He comes to the poor, the captive, and the mourning. He comes to corps halls and church buildings, to busy homes, to college canteens, to care homes, to office blocks, and to crowded high streets. He comes to the places where we serve, where we worship, and where we queue at the food bank.
And he brings joy. Not the fake joy that says, “Cheer up, it could be worse”. Not the shallow joy that lasts only as long as the Christmas lights. He brings deep joy. Joy that can sit in a hospital waiting room. Joy that can stand at a graveside. Joy that can look at the bank statement and still whisper, “Lord, I trust you”.
So, what does it look like to live this out today?
First, bring your ashes to Jesus. Be honest with him. Tell him where you feel broken, stuck, or afraid. You can do that in your living room, on the bus, at your desk, or in the car outside school. You can do it at the mercy seat on a Sunday or during a quiet moment in band practice.
Second, share his comfort with someone else. Who around you feels poor in spirit today? A neighbour who lives alone? A friend at school who sits by themselves? A colleague who always looks tired? Ask God to show you one person to encourage. You might send a text, offer a lift, make a meal, or pray with them.
Third, join in with God’s work of freedom and justice. Isaiah speaks of captives released and prisoners freed. You may already serve in a community programme, a charity shop, or a food bank. See that work as sharing the joy of Jesus. Each parcel packed and each warm welcome says, “God has not forgotten you”.
Here is today’s next step. Ask God to trade one patch of ashes in your life for his beauty. Name it. Offer it to him. Then look for one way to bring his joy to someone else before the day ends.
Let’s pray together:
Jesus, you came to bring good news, comfort, and freedom. You see my fears and the ashes in my life. I bring them to you now. Trade my mourning for your joy. Help me to trust you in uncertain times. Show me one person I can encourage today with your love. Amen.
Here is a thought to carry with you: Where do I most need Jesus to turn ashes into beauty today, and who can I share his joy with before bedtime?
Three Small Swaps
Wednesday 17 December 2025
Let me start with a simple question. Have you caught yourself grumbling this week?
Maybe it was in the supermarket queue. Maybe it was at your desk. Maybe it was as you looked at the volunteer rota again and thought, “Why is it always me?”
You are not on your own. Grumbling comes very easily. Gratitude does not.
But listen to what Paul writes to a young church:
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Paul is not writing to people on holiday. He is writing to people under pressure. Yet he still says, “Always… never… in all circumstances”.
So how do we live that out in a world that is full of stress and bad news?
I want to offer you three small swaps. Think of them as three little choices you can make each day. At home. At school or college. At work. In your corps or church and community.
First swap: from sigh to prayer. Grumbling often begins with a sigh. You see the email. You hear the comment. You step into the busy kitchen. You feel the weight land on your shoulders.
In that moment, you have a choice. You can let the sigh turn into a moan. Or you can let the sigh turn into a prayer.
“Lord, I feel annoyed”. “Jesus, I feel tired”. “Father, I need wisdom”.
You tell the truth. You bring it straight to God. You don’t pretend. You don’t bottle it up. You turn your first reaction into a short prayer.
That is what it means to never stop praying. You keep coming back to God, breath by breath, through the day.
Second swap: from “I have to” to “I get to”. So much of our grumbling sits in that one phrase. “I have to cook. I have to look after the kids. I have to revise. I have to go to band practice. I have to serve on the welcome team. I have to visit that person”.
What if, with God’s help, you could swap “I have to” for “I get to”? “I get to cook for people I love”. “I get to look after these children God has trusted to me”. “I get to study and learn”. “I get to make music that honours Jesus”. “I get to welcome someone who needs a smile”. “I get to visit a person Jesus loves”.
The task hasn’t changed. But your heart has. You start to see each task as a grace, not just a weight. That is where joy begins to grow.
Third swap: from counting problems to counting gifts. Grumbling keeps a record of what is wrong. Gratitude keeps a record of what is good.
At home, you can count gifts. A warm bed. A hot drink. Laughter around the table. A phone call from a friend. At school or college, you can count gifts. The chance to learn. The classmate who makes you laugh. The staff who care. At work, you can count gifts. A wage. Skills to use. People to serve. The chance to make a difference. In corps and church life, you can count gifts. The freedom to worship. The people who give and serve. The joy of outreach. The stories of God at work.
Here is a simple next step. Tonight, before you sleep, take two minutes. Think back over your day. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you three things you can thank God for. Big or small. Then speak them out. “Thank you, Lord, for…” and name them.
If you live with others, you could do this round the table. Each person shares one thing they are grateful for. Let gratitude fill the room.
You will still face hard things. There will still be moments when you want to grumble. But as you practise these swaps, you will find joy becoming your habit, not just your feeling.
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, you know how quick I am to grumble. You see every sigh and every complaint. Thank you that you do not turn away from me. Please teach me to turn my sighs into prayers. Help me to see each duty as a gift. Train my heart to count your good gifts, not just my problems. Fill me with your joy, even in the middle of pressure. And use that joy to point others to you. Amen.
Thought starter: Which of these three swaps do you need most today – sigh to prayer, “have to” to “get to”, or problems to gifts?
God’s Joy-Filled Spoiler Ending
Thursday 18 December 2025
Have you ever had someone spoil the end of a film or a book for you? They tell you who wins, or who dies, before you see it. You groan, “You’ve ruined it!”
Most of us don’t like spoilers. But when it comes to life and death, God gives us one on purpose. He lets us know the end of the story so we can live with joy now.
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul describes that ending. He says there will be a day when our fragile bodies are changed. Then, God’s promise will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” Death, the enemy that has stalked every family, will be defeated.
Right now, we still feel its sting. You may carry the memory of a loved one’s funeral. You may be walking through treatment. You may fear what a test result will show. As a Salvation Army officer, I sit with people in all those places. I see the worry in their eyes. I feel the weight in the room.
The Bible doesn’t pretend death is easy. Jesus wept at the tomb of his friend. But the Bible also tells us that the cross and the empty tomb have changed the story. Jesus stepped into death and then walked out again. He broke its power from the inside.
That means the Christian view of death is honest, but hopeful. This hope does more than comfort us at funerals. It brings joy into ordinary days. Joy does not mean we walk around with a fake smile. It means that under the tears there is a deep confidence that we are held. Whatever happens, we belong to the God who brings life out of death.
We face the reality of pain and loss. Yet we also hold on to this sure promise: for those who belong to Christ, death is a doorway, not a dead end. One day, we will have new bodies. No sickness. No weakness. No more goodbyes.
How does that help you tomorrow morning?
Think about your home life. Perhaps you care for an older parent. Maybe you are bringing up children in a world that feels scary. You hear the news. You fear what they may face. Resurrection hope says, “God has not lost control. The end of the story is secure”. You can tuck your children into bed and pray, “Lord, hold them now and forever”.
Think about school or college. Young people face huge pressure. Exams, friendships, social media, questions about the future. Death lurks in the background, even there, in fears about climate change or war. If you are a young person who follows Jesus, you carry a different story. You can say, “My life isn’t an accident. My future is in God’s hands. Even death cannot take me from him”.
Think about your workplace. Targets, stress, and endless emails can make life feel small. Yet resurrection hope lifts your eyes. Your work isn’t just about money. It is a place to live out the life of Jesus. When you act with integrity, when you serve a colleague in need, you are living as someone whose future is already safe in Christ.
Think about your neighbourhood and community. Our corps and churches often stand right at the point of death and loss. We lead funerals. We visit care homes. We give out food parcels to people who feel life is falling apart. When we turn up with love, with a hot meal, with a listening ear, we are declaring in simple ways, “Death and despair don’t get the last word. Jesus does”.
And think about your own heart. Maybe you lie awake at night and think, “What will it be like when I die?” That is a brave question. You can bring it to Jesus. He has passed through death already. He can walk with you, whatever you face.
Here is a simple next step. Today, read 1 Corinthians 15 for yourself. You might not understand every detail. That’s fine. As you read, underline or note every word of hope. Then turn what you see into a short prayer.
Let me pray with you now.
Risen Jesus, thank you that you have broken the power of death. Thank you that one day death will be swallowed up in victory. Fill my mind and my home with your hope. Help me to serve others today as someone whose future is safe in you. Amen.
Photo Album, Calendar, Diary
Friday 19 December 2025
Imagine you pop round for a cuppa, and I pull three things off the shelf. A photo album. Today’s calendar. And a diary for next year. They are a bit like our walk with God. They show us where we have been, where we are, and where we are going.
First, the photo album. The Bible says in Psalm 126:3, Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy! A photo album tells the story of where you have been. Holidays. Birthdays. The day the baby came home. The time everyone laughed so much they cried.
If you had a photo album of your journey with God, what would be in it? Maybe the day you first met Jesus. Maybe the moment you knew he had forgiven you. Maybe the time the corps or church gathered round and prayed for you. Maybe a simple quiet morning when a verse from the Bible seemed to jump off the page and land in your heart.
Joy grows when we “turn the pages” and remember. If today feels heavy, look back. Take a few minutes to thank God for the “photos” of his goodness in your past. You might even want to jot a few down on your phone, in your journal, or on a scrap of paper on the fridge door.
Next, the calendar. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Paul writes, Always be joyful. Our days fill up fast. Work. School. College. Caring for children or grandchildren. Helping at the charity shop. Serving in the community café. Band practice. Housework. Shopping. It can all feel like a blur.
Joy in the present is not about adding one more thing to your list. It is about inviting Jesus into the list you already have. You can be joyful at the school gate, as you chat with another parent. You can be joyful at the checkout, as you choose patience instead of anger. You can be joyful at work, as you do your job well and treat others with kindness. You can be joyful in corps or church life, as you welcome a new person or encourage someone who looks a bit down. You can even be joyful in traffic, as you take a breath and remember that God is with you in the car.
What might it look like to write “joy” across every square of your calendar? Not fake smiles. Not forced feelings. But small choices to trust God, give thanks, and serve someone, wherever you are, and whatever you’re doing.
Finally, the diary. Isaiah 61:10 says, I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation. We don’t know what will fill the pages of next year’s diary. There may be good news. There may be hard days. But if you have given your life to Jesus, one thing is certain. Your future with him is safe.
One day, Jesus will wipe away every tear. One day, he will set all things right. One day, we will stand in his presence, clothed not in our failures, but in his salvation. When you feel anxious about the future, picture that. Picture yourself wrapped in his love, whole and at peace. Let that picture soak into your heart.
So, we have joy in the past, as we remember God’s faithfulness. Joy in the present, as we invite him into our everyday life. And joy in the future, as we rest in his promises.
Here is a simple next step. Choose one small act of joy in each area. For the past, tell someone a story of how God has helped you. For the present, do one quiet act of kindness today, in your home, your street, your workplace, your corps, or your school. For the future, take a worry you have been carrying and give it to God in prayer.
Let’s pray.
Lord, thank you for the “photo album” of your goodness in our lives. Thank you that you have done amazing things for us. Thank you that you are with us in every square of our calendar today. Help us to choose joy in the middle of busy days and hard news. Thank you that our future is secure in you, and that you will dress us in the clothing of salvation. Fill our past, our present, and our future with your joy. Help us to share that joy with those we meet. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
What Joy Looks Like in Real Life
Saturday 20 December 2025
If I asked you, “What does joy look like?” What would you say? A big smile? A happy song? A perfect Christmas?
The Bible gives us a very different picture. Joy doesn’t just look like a feeling. Joy looks like the way we treat each other.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:12–15, Paul paints a picture of joyful community. He shows us what joy looks like in real life. Joy honours. Joy encourages. Joy helps. Joy is patient.
First, joy honours. Paul says we should honour our leaders in the Lord’s work. That includes corps officers or church leaders and local officers or elders. It includes youth leaders and bandmasters and songster leaders. It includes home league leaders and small group leaders. It even includes the person who always puts the chairs out!
Joy does not take people for granted. Joy says, “Thank you”. Joy prays for them. Joy backs them up, even when choices are hard.
Who could you honour this week? Could you write a card? Send a text? Say, “I thank God for you”, after a meeting?
Second, joy encourages. Paul tells the church to encourage those who are timid. There are people around you who are scared right now. Scared about money. Scared about exams. Scared about health. Scared about the future.
Joy comes alongside them. Joy says, “You are not on your own”. Joy listens more than it speaks. Joy reminds them of God’s promises.
At school or college, that might mean sitting with someone who is nervous.
At work, it might mean a kind word to the colleague who looks stressed.
At home, it might mean telling your child, “I am proud of you”, even if the grade was not perfect. At your corps or church, it might mean thanking the person who tried something new and feels unsure.
Third, joy helps. Paul tells us to help those who are weak. Weak in body, weak in faith, weak in hope.
Joy looks like driving someone to a hospital appointment. It looks like carrying a heavy bag for an older neighbour. It looks like giving to the Christmas appeal, even when money is tight. It looks like serving at the community lunch or café with a warm smile. It looks like standing on a cold street with the band, praying for each passer-by.
You may feel you have little to give. But in God’s hands, your little becomes much.
Fourth, joy is patient. Be patient with everyone, Paul says. Everyone. Not just the easy people.
Joy is patient in the traffic queue. Joy is patient in the supermarket line. Joy is patient with the child who asks “Why?” for the hundredth time. Joy is patient with the older relative who tells the same story again. Joy is patient with the corps or church member who always has a different view.
Patience does not mean you never feel annoyed. It means you bring that feeling to God before you speak. You count to ten. You take a breath. You ask, “Lord, help me to see this person as you see them”.
Finally, Paul reminds us not to repay evil for evil. Instead, we should always try to do good to each other and to all people. That is joy in action.
When someone is sharp with you, you answer gently. When someone forgets to say thank you, you serve again. When someone lets you down, you choose to forgive. That is not weakness. That is the strong joy of Christ at work in you.
Here is a simple Advent challenge. Take these four words and live one each day:
· Honour – thank one leader today.
· Encourage – build up one timid person tomorrow.
· Help – offer practical help to someone who is weak.
· Be patient – choose patience with one difficult person.
Four days. Four simple choices. Watch how Christ’s joy grows in you as you do. And remember, you do not do this alone. The Holy Spirit lives in you. He gives you the strength you do not have. He pours God’s love into your heart. He grows joy as you step out in faith.
Let’s pray.
Holy Spirit, thank you that you live in me. Show me who I can honour. Show me who I can encourage. Show me who I can help. Give me patience with those who test me. Let my life today show your joy in my home, my school or college, my workplace, my corps, or church, and in my neighbourhood. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Joy as a Living Signpost
Sunday 21 December 2025
Have you ever been lost on a journey and felt so relieved to see a clear sign? You turn a corner, and there it is. Pointing the way. That is what your life can be like this Christmas – a living signpost to Jesus.
Isaiah says, I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation… (Isaiah 61:10). Then he adds, The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world. (Isaiah 61:11). God is doing something in his people that the whole world is meant to see. Your joy, grounded in Jesus, is part of his plan to reach others.
Many people around us feel lost just now. Cost-of-living pressures. Family tension. Grief and worry. Some feel let down by religion. Some have never heard the good news explained. They are not looking for perfect Christians. They are looking for real hope.
Joy in Jesus is not loud hype. It is a deep, steady assurance that you are loved and saved. You know whose you are. You know where your story is heading. That kind of joy is attractive. It makes people ask questions.
At home, that joy might look like calm in the middle of Christmas chaos. When plans go wrong, you do not explode. When money is tight, you still choose gratitude. When others argue, you look for peace. Someone may quietly wonder, “How do they stay so steady?” That opens a door to talk about Jesus.
In school or college, joy might look like confidence in who God says you are. You don’t need to chase every trend to feel valued. You can be kind when others are cruel. You can admit when you are struggling yet still trust God. Your friends may see that your hope runs deeper than exam results or likes online.
At work, joy may look like integrity and kindness. You work hard, not just to impress a boss, but to honour God. You refuse to cut corners. You encourage others rather than pulling them down. In a harsh environment, that kind of joy stands out like a bright sign on a dark road.
In your neighbourhood and social spaces, joy might look like being that person people know they can turn to. You remember names. You notice when someone is missing. You invite others to corps or church events, carol services, and community lunches. You offer practical help – a lift, a meal, a listening ear. These simple acts point beyond you to a generous God.
In corps and church life, joy is part of our witness. The way we welcome, the way we sing, the way we serve in our community work – it all speaks. If people walk into a Salvation Army Hall and meet joyful, hopeful people, they will see something of Jesus long before they understand every word.
This Christmas, God is not just asking, “Will you believe the good news?”
He is also asking, “Will you wear it?” Will you wear the clothing of salvation in such a way that others notice? Will your face, your words, your choices say, “There is hope. Come and see”?
Here is a simple next step. Ask God to show you one person who needs a signpost today. Then do one thing to serve them in Jesus’ name. Send a message. Make a call. Offer to pray. Invite them to a meeting, a concert, or a carol service. Let your joy in Jesus shape your action.
Let’s pray:
Lord Jesus, thank you that you rescued me and dressed me in the clothing of salvation. Fill me again with your joy. Help me to live as a clear signpost to you at home, at school or work, in my neighbourhood, and at my corps. Show me one person I can bless today and give me the courage to act. Amen.
Question to reflect on: If someone watched your life this Christmas, what would your joy be pointing them towards?
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Unless otherwise shown, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. All song extracts used by permission. CCL Licence No. 135015.