The Next Next Scene 12.28.25

January 1st, 2026

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

This peace wasn’t a promise of perfect circumstances. It was the arrival of a Person. Jesus didn’t come to remove all conflict or difficulty; He came as the Prince of Peace. The peace He offers reaches deeper than surface calm and touches every part of our lives.

First, Jesus brings eternal peace with God. Our greatest problem wasn’t stress or instability—it was separation from God because of sin. Christmas was God’s rescue mission. Jesus came to live the life we couldn’t live and die the death we deserved. When we place our trust in Him, our past no longer defines us, and our future becomes secure. We are no longer enemies of God, but children welcomed into His family.

Second, Jesus brings internal peace. This peace doesn’t erase hardship, but it stands guard over our hearts in the middle of it. It’s a peace that doesn’t depend on circumstances improving, but on knowing we belong to a faithful Father. Even when life feels overwhelming, His peace anchors us from the inside out.

Finally, Jesus brings external peace—a peace meant to flow through us to others. Like the shepherds who couldn’t keep the good news to themselves, we are called to carry Christ’s peace into a broken world. That means choosing peace over being right, dropping the rope in conflict, and extending grace even when it’s not returned. We become peace-bearers because we have received peace ourselves.

If Jesus could bring peace into the chaos of the first Christmas, He can bring peace into whatever you’re facing today.

REFLECT |

Where might God be inviting you to wait with greater trust and attentiveness to His Spirit?
How can your life shine the light of Jesus to those around you this week?

BIBLE VERSES

Key Verses are denoted with an *

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DAY 1 | GOD'S UNFINISHED SYMPHONY

Have you ever started a project with great enthusiasm, only to abandon it halfway through? We've all been there - the half-finished craft project, the book we never completed, the resolution that faded by February. But here's the beautiful truth about our God: He doesn't operate like us when it comes to finishing what He starts. Christmas wasn't just a beautiful beginning - it was the continuation of an eternal plan. Before the first star was hung in the heavens, before time itself began ticking, God had already set in motion a rescue mission for humanity. The baby in the manger wasn't Plan B; He was the fulfillment of a promise that spans from eternity past to eternity future. When you look at your own life, you might see unfinished business, broken dreams, or incomplete healing. You might wonder if God has forgotten about you or given up on the work He started in your heart. But Christmas reminds us that God is in the business of completion. The same God who orchestrated the birth of Jesus in a humble stable is the same God working in your story today. Your life isn't a rough draft that God is still trying to figure out. You're part of His masterpiece, and He's committed to seeing it through to the end. Every setback, every delay, every moment of uncertainty is part of His perfect timing. He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.

BIBLE VERSE |
"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6

REFLECTION QUESTION |
What area of your life feels unfinished or abandoned, and how might God be continuing His work there even when you can't see it?

QUOTE |
"God finishes what he starts."

PRAYER |
Father, thank You that You are not like us - You finish what You start. Help me trust in Your perfect timing and faithfulness, especially in the areas of my life that feel incomplete. Give me patience to wait for Your completion and eyes to see Your ongoing work in my story. Amen.

DAY 2 | THE LAMB AMONG THE POOR

There's something beautifully ironic about the scene at the temple when Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus for dedication. According to Jewish law, families were to bring a lamb for sacrifice, but if they couldn't afford it, they could bring two doves instead. Mary and Joseph brought the doves - the offering of the poor. Picture this: the Lamb of God, carried into the temple by parents who couldn't afford to bring an actual lamb. The very One who would become the ultimate sacrifice was presented with the humble offering of those who had little. This wasn't an accident or an oversight in God's plan - it was intentional. Jesus didn't just come to help the poor; He came as one of them. He experienced what it meant to have parents who counted every coin, who made sacrifices just to follow God's commands. The King of Kings entered the world not in a palace but in a stable, not with wealth but with want. If you've ever felt overlooked because of your circumstances, under-qualified because of your background, or under-resourced compared to others, you're in incredible company. The Savior of the world knows exactly what it feels like to be where you are. He chose to experience limitation, poverty, and humble beginnings not because He had to, but because He wanted to identify completely with us. Your current circumstances don't disqualify you from God's purposes - they might just be the very platform He wants to use to display His glory.

BIBLE VERSE |
"If they cannot afford a lamb, they are to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be clean." - Leviticus 12:8

REFLECTION QUESTION |
How does knowing that Jesus chose to experience poverty and limitation change your perspective on your own challenging circumstances?

QUOTE |
"Jesus didn't come for the poor. He came as the poor."

PRAYER |
Jesus, thank You for choosing to come not just for the poor, but as one of the poor. Help me see that my limitations don't limit Your power, and my circumstances don't determine my worth in Your eyes. Use my humble beginnings for Your glory. Amen.

DAY 3 | DANCING IN THE WAIT

Simeon had been waiting for decades. Day after day, year after year, he held onto a promise that the Holy Spirit had given him - that he would see the Messiah before he died. Can you imagine the questions that must have crossed his mind during those long years? The doubts that might have whispered in the quiet moments? But here's what made Simeon's waiting different: it wasn't passive. He didn't just sit around hoping something would happen. He stayed sensitive to the Spirit's leading, positioning himself where God could use him. When the Spirit prompted him to go to the temple that day, he went. And in that moment of obedience, his decades of waiting culminated in holding the Christ child. Waiting on God isn't about sitting still - it's about staying close enough to Him that you can sense His next move. It's like dancing with a partner who knows the steps perfectly. You have to stay so close, so attentive, that you can feel the slightest shift in direction, the gentlest pressure that signals the next movement. Maybe you're in a season of waiting right now. Perhaps you're wondering if God has forgotten His promises to you, if His timing will ever align with your hopes. Remember that waiting isn't weakness - it's faith with endurance. It's trusting that God's delays are not His denials, and that He's preparing something beautiful even when you can't see it yet. Stay close to Him. Keep dancing. Your breakthrough moment might be just one step of obedience away.

BIBLE VERSE |
"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." - Galatians 5:25

REFLECTION QUESTION |
In what ways can you stay more sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading during your current season of waiting?

QUOTE |
"To dance with him, you have to stay so close and so intimate that you see his next step he's taking."

PRAYER |
Holy Spirit, teach me to dance closely with You during this season of waiting. Help me stay sensitive to Your promptings and obedient to Your leading. Give me faith to trust Your timing and strength to endure with hope. Amen.

DAY 4 | LIGHT FOR ALL NATIONS

When Simeon held baby Jesus in his arms, he made a declaration that would have shocked many in the temple that day. He called Jesus "a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel." This wasn't just about Israel anymore - this was about everyone. In a time when racial and cultural barriers seemed insurmountable, when people were divided by ethnicity, social status, and religious background, Simeon proclaimed that this child would be the light for all nations. Christmas shattered every barrier that humans had built to separate themselves from one another. This truth is just as revolutionary today. In our world of division, where people are categorized and separated by countless differences, Jesus remains the light that unites us all. He doesn't see Democrat or Republican, rich or poor, educated or simple, insider or outsider. He sees people He loves, people He died for, people He wants to reach. But here's the beautiful part - you get to be part of spreading that light. Jesus called His followers "the light of the world," which means you carry His illumination wherever you go. In your workplace, your neighborhood, your family gatherings, you have the opportunity to let His light shine through you. The world has enough darkness. What it desperately needs is more people who will let the light of Christ shine so brightly through their lives that others can't help but notice. Your kindness, your hope, your love - these are all ways His light breaks through the darkness around you.

BIBLE VERSE |
"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden." - Matthew 5:14

REFLECTION QUESTION |
How can you intentionally let the light of Christ shine through you to break down barriers and reach people who feel excluded or overlooked?

QUOTE |
"Christmas. It shattered racial, cultural and social barriers."

PRAYER |
Lord Jesus, thank You for being the light that breaks down every barrier. Help me to be a reflection of Your light in this dark world. Use me to reach across divisions and show Your love to people who feel excluded or forgotten. Amen.

DAY 5 | THE STORY CONTINUES

When Simeon held Jesus and declared he was ready to die in peace, it wasn't because the story was ending - it was because he understood his part in the continuing story. He had seen salvation, and now he could rest knowing that God's plan was unfolding exactly as promised. Christmas doesn't end at the manger. The birth of Jesus wasn't the conclusion of God's work; it was the beginning of a new chapter that continues to this day. Every person who encounters Jesus becomes part of this ongoing story. Every life transformed, every heart healed, every person who chooses to follow Him adds another page to the narrative that began in Bethlehem. You are living in the continuation of the Christmas story. Your life, your choices, your faith - they all matter in God's grand narrative. Just as Simeon had a specific role to play in recognizing and proclaiming Jesus, you have a unique part in making Him known to your generation. The next scene in this story isn't just about seeing Jesus - it's about following Him. It's about letting His life transform yours so completely that others can see Him through you. It's about understanding that you were born not just to exist, but to participate in God's redemptive work in the world. As you step into each new day, remember that you're not just living your life - you're writing the next chapter of the greatest story ever told. Make it count. Let your life be a continuation of the hope, love, and light that entered the world that first Christmas.

BIBLE VERSE |
"For he says, 'In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.' I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation!" - 2 Corinthians 6:2

REFLECTION QUESTION |
How do you want your life to continue the Christmas story, and what specific steps can you take to make Jesus known in your sphere of influence?

QUOTE |
"Christmas. It doesn't end at the manger. It doesn't. It continues. Living off into our lives today."

PRAYER |
Father, thank You that the Christmas story continues through my life. Help me understand my role in Your ongoing work and give me courage to follow Jesus boldly. May my life be a bright chapter in the story of Your love for the world. Amen.

ACTION STEP

This week, identify one specific way you can 'take the lampshade off' and let God's light shine through you. Whether it's showing kindness to a difficult coworker, reaching out to someone who's hurting, or simply being more intentional about reflecting Christ's love in your daily interactions, commit to one concrete action that will help others see Jesus through your life.

PRAYER

Father, thank You for the example of Simeon who waited faithfully and was rewarded with seeing Your salvation. Help us to wait with that same faith and to stay close enough to You that we can follow Your lead like dancers following their partner. Give us courage to let Your light shine through us this week, and help us to remember that You have a purpose for each of our lives. May we live with the peace that comes from knowing You and the joy that comes from being part of Your eternal story. In Jesus' name, Amen.

BIBLE APP PLANS

The Heart of Christmas
4 Days – DaySprings
The Heart of Christmas Bible reading plan explores the stories of Simeon, the Shepherds, Anna, and Mary, each responding to the birth of Christ with faith and awe. Journey through their encounters, discovering how God revealed the Savior to them in unique ways. This plan will inspire you to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, nurturing a heart filled with worship, hope, and joy during the season.

Rediscovering Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love in Advent
4 Days – Salvation Army
As you journey through this Advent season, pause each week to rediscover the hope, peace, joy and love that can be yours because of the miracle of the first Christmas — Jesus moving into our neighbourhood. May that miracle become a reality for us all this Advent as we allow Jesus to move into our homes, families, relationships and into our hearts.

The Deliverer Has Come: A 5-Day Reading Plan for Kids
5 Days – Waterbrook Multnomah

Inspired by the picture book of the same name, this devotional will help families with young children learn about the hope and promise of Jesus’s birth. Just as Advent prepares us to remember Jesus’s coming to a people and a world that was waiting for rescue, children will be invited to prayerfully trust in God and wait on Him to answer prayers as they wait.