7-Day Devotional: The Incarnation Didn’t End — It Moved In

Big Idea: God didn’t visit humanity for Christmas—He chose to live with us in the ordinary rhythms of life. 

Day 1 — When the Feeling Wears Off 

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” — John 1:14

Reflection: A few days after Christmas, the living room feels quieter. The decorations remain, but the energy is gone. Nothing is broken—yet something feels different. Faith can feel the same way after Christmas. The songs fade. The gatherings end. The emotions settle. But John reminds us of something critical: God didn’t leave when the lights came down. Christmas wasn’t a moment—it was a move-in. God’s presence is not sustained by atmosphere or emotion. He is just as near in silence as He was in celebration. Where do you tend to equate God’s presence with a feeling rather than a promise?

Day 2 — God Pitched His Tent

“He made His dwelling among us.” — John 1:14

Reflection: There’s a difference between someone who visits and someone who moves in.
Visitors live out of suitcases. They don’t rearrange anything. They leave when it’s convenient.
But when someone moves in, they unpack. They wake up early. They stay when things get messy.
John uses a word that means to pitch a tent. God didn’t come to observe your life—He came to share it.
He didn’t arrive with an exit strategy. Do you relate to God more as a guest or as a constant companion?

Day 3 — God in the Kitchen

“He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.” — John 1:10

Reflection: Some of the most honest moments of the day happen in the kitchen—before sunrise, before words, before everything starts. No worship music. No deep prayers. Just coffee and quiet. Jesus chose to dwell in places like that. Tables. Meals. Ordinary conversations. He wasn’t constantly teaching crowds—He was often just present. God is not waiting for your day to become spiritual. He meets you right where life already is. What ordinary space in your life might God already be inhabiting that you’ve overlooked?

Day 4 — God at Work

Isn’t this the carpenter?” — Mark 6:3

Reflection: 
Before Jesus ever healed the sick, His hands were callused. He knew deadlines. Fatigue. Repetition. Responsibility. Sometimes people say they feel far from God at work. But Jesus understands work better than we realize. He knows what it’s like to labor without applause. Your job isn’t where God disappears—it’s where faith is often lived quietly and faithfully. How might your work look different if you believed God was fully present there?

Day 5 — God in Grief

“Jesus wept.” — John 11:35

Reflection: At Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus didn’t explain suffering or rush the moment. He sat. He felt. He wept.
Grief doesn’t scare God. Tears don’t push Him away. Often, the most meaningful presence in suffering isn’t the one with answers—but the one who stays. Emmanuel does not rush grief. He remains in it. Where might you need to allow God to sit with you rather than explain things to you?

Day 6 — God in Routine

“He grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” — Luke 2:52

Reflection: 
Roots grow underground long before fruit appears above the surface. Jesus spent decades in obscurity. No platform. No recognition. Just faithfulness. Routine seasons can feel spiritually uneventful—but they’re often where God is doing His deepest work. Growth doesn’t always feel dramatic. Sometimes it looks like consistency.
What faithful routine might God be using to form you more than you realize?

Day 7 — God After Christmas

“Surely I am with you always.” — Matthew 28:20

Reflection: Christmas Eve faith is easy. January 2nd faith is formed. No lights. No songs. Just obedience. But Emmanuel does not leave when the calendar changes. The God who came near in Bethlehem is still walking with you in the ordinary days that follow. The miracle of Christmas wasn’t just that God came—it’s that God stayed.

Weekly Closing Challenge

Each morning this week, pray one simple prayer: “God, show me where You are at work today—right here, right now.” Because the God who arrived in Bethlehem is still present still near still walking with you in the days after Christmas.