Christmastime can be difficult at the best of times. Long lines at the department store, late nights of wrapping gifts, and lots of traveling. This year though is different... the usual hope and joy of the season might easily be stripped away completely. There won't be so much traveling, family gatherings are being canceled... for many people it may be the most hopeless holiday season of their lives.

That’s where this book comes in. 

Hope Is Here is a four-week devotional that guides you through the Christmas story. It’s not a simple feel-good story to provide escape from the harsh reality that is 2020. Instead it is a light in the darkness, that cuts through even the darkest night. The Christmas story we share here is the narrative of a great promise fulfilled by a loving God in a highly unexpected way. 

This book is separated into four sections—one for each week of Advent. Each day has a main Scripture passage, devotional thoughts, and a prayer. We encourage you to carve out some time each day to read through the Scripture passage. You may even want to look at the verses before and after each passage to give you an idea of the context. The deeper you dig into God’s word, the more wonderful meaning you will find. When you read through the devotional thoughts, allow yourself to refocus on the significance of this season and then come to God using the prayer provided as a starting place.

We thank Salem’s members and staff for their contributions to this devotional. Your creativity, hard work, and love for God are evident in these pages.

We hope that you will encounter the great Hope that is Jesus Christ in the midst of this Christmas season. May God bless you as you discover the greatest gift of all.

Below you will find today's devotional and an archive of days that have since past. Further down the page is also a PDF eBook version of the entire devotional if you would prefer that format.