Devotions for Spiritual Strength
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The Redemption of Scrooge
Bah! Humbug!
December 2-6, 2025
Dec 2: Recognizing Our Distractions
Reading: Matthew 6:19-24
Like Scrooge clutching his coins while missing Christmas joy, we often build idols that blind us to God's kingdom. Jesus warns against storing treasures on earth because wherever our treasure is, our heart follows. What has become your "counting house"—that thing you return to obsessively while missing the divine activity around you? Perhaps it's career success, social media validation, or even busyness itself. Today, examine what consumes your attention. Is it drawing you closer to God or creating chains like Marley's? The good news: God persistently calls us back, sending "spirits" of conviction to awaken us. What gentle (or not-so-gentle) wake-up call is God offering you today?
Like Scrooge clutching his coins while missing Christmas joy, we often build idols that blind us to God's kingdom. Jesus warns against storing treasures on earth because wherever our treasure is, our heart follows. What has become your "counting house"—that thing you return to obsessively while missing the divine activity around you? Perhaps it's career success, social media validation, or even busyness itself. Today, examine what consumes your attention. Is it drawing you closer to God or creating chains like Marley's? The good news: God persistently calls us back, sending "spirits" of conviction to awaken us. What gentle (or not-so-gentle) wake-up call is God offering you today?
Dec 3: The Grace of Being Called Last
Reading: Matthew 20:1-16
The vineyard owner's generosity offends our sense of fairness, just as God's grace often does. We want to earn our place, to deserve more than "latecomers." But the kingdom of heaven operates on divine generosity, not human merit. Whether you've followed Christ since childhood or just discovered faith, God's grace is equally abundant. You cannot out-earn it or arrive too late for it. The workers hired at dawn and those hired at the eleventh hour receive the same denarius—not because the work doesn't matter, but because the owner's character defines the outcome. Stop calculating your worthiness. God isn't interested in your résumé; God desires your presence in the vineyard. Will you accept this scandalous grace today?
The vineyard owner's generosity offends our sense of fairness, just as God's grace often does. We want to earn our place, to deserve more than "latecomers." But the kingdom of heaven operates on divine generosity, not human merit. Whether you've followed Christ since childhood or just discovered faith, God's grace is equally abundant. You cannot out-earn it or arrive too late for it. The workers hired at dawn and those hired at the eleventh hour receive the same denarius—not because the work doesn't matter, but because the owner's character defines the outcome. Stop calculating your worthiness. God isn't interested in your résumé; God desires your presence in the vineyard. Will you accept this scandalous grace today?
Dec 4: Mankind Was My Business
Reading: Reading: Micah 6:6-8
Marley's ghost cries out the truth Scrooge desperately needs: "Mankind was my business!" We, too, can mistake our trades for our callings. God asks not for endless religious activity but for justice, mercy, and humble walking. The prophet Micah reminds us that thousands of offerings cannot substitute for loving our neighbor. Your "business" isn't your career, portfolio, or achievements—it's people. The homeless person you pass, the difficult coworker, the lonely neighbor, the stranger who needs hiring: these are your business. Christmas reveals God's business plan—entering our mess to redeem it. Who has God placed in your path that you've dismissed as a distraction from "real work"? That person is your kingdom assignment today.
Marley's ghost cries out the truth Scrooge desperately needs: "Mankind was my business!" We, too, can mistake our trades for our callings. God asks not for endless religious activity but for justice, mercy, and humble walking. The prophet Micah reminds us that thousands of offerings cannot substitute for loving our neighbor. Your "business" isn't your career, portfolio, or achievements—it's people. The homeless person you pass, the difficult coworker, the lonely neighbor, the stranger who needs hiring: these are your business. Christmas reveals God's business plan—entering our mess to redeem it. Who has God placed in your path that you've dismissed as a distraction from "real work"? That person is your kingdom assignment today.
Dec 5: Spiritual Awakening Through Divine Interruption
Reading: Acts 9:1-19
Saul, like Scrooge, needed dramatic intervention. His certainty about righteousness blinded him to God's actual work. Sometimes God must knock us off our horses—or send three ghosts—to get our attention. These interruptions feel disruptive, even terrifying, but they're invitations to transformation. What "ghosts" has God sent your way? Perhaps a health crisis that reordered priorities, a failure that humbled you, or a relationship that challenged your selfishness. Saul's blindness preceded new sight; Scrooge's frightening night preceded joyful morning. Don't waste your interruptions by rushing back to normal. God is revealing something essential about your past, present, and future. Sit with the discomfort. Let it do its transformative work. Spiritual awakening rarely arrives on our schedule.
Saul, like Scrooge, needed dramatic intervention. His certainty about righteousness blinded him to God's actual work. Sometimes God must knock us off our horses—or send three ghosts—to get our attention. These interruptions feel disruptive, even terrifying, but they're invitations to transformation. What "ghosts" has God sent your way? Perhaps a health crisis that reordered priorities, a failure that humbled you, or a relationship that challenged your selfishness. Saul's blindness preceded new sight; Scrooge's frightening night preceded joyful morning. Don't waste your interruptions by rushing back to normal. God is revealing something essential about your past, present, and future. Sit with the discomfort. Let it do its transformative work. Spiritual awakening rarely arrives on our schedule.
Dec 6: Anticipating the Kingdom Present and Coming
Reading: Luke 2:8-20; Revelation 21:1-5
The shepherds experienced what Scrooge discovered: the kingdom breaking into ordinary time, transforming everything. Christmas announces that God's kingdom isn't only future—it's present wherever Christ dwells. Yet we also await its full consummation when God makes all things new. This Advent tension—already but not yet—should fill us with anticipation, not frustration. You can experience kingdom moments now: grace extended, forgiveness offered, justice pursued, love embodied. These are foretastes of the eternal feast. Like Scrooge on Christmas morning, respond with extravagant joy and generosity. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. That changes everything—today and forever. How will you live as a kingdom person this Christmas season, celebrating what has come while anticipating what's still coming?
The shepherds experienced what Scrooge discovered: the kingdom breaking into ordinary time, transforming everything. Christmas announces that God's kingdom isn't only future—it's present wherever Christ dwells. Yet we also await its full consummation when God makes all things new. This Advent tension—already but not yet—should fill us with anticipation, not frustration. You can experience kingdom moments now: grace extended, forgiveness offered, justice pursued, love embodied. These are foretastes of the eternal feast. Like Scrooge on Christmas morning, respond with extravagant joy and generosity. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. That changes everything—today and forever. How will you live as a kingdom person this Christmas season, celebrating what has come while anticipating what's still coming?
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