Daily Devotions for Tuesday, December 30, 2025: The Sixth Day: A Work Very Good

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The Daily Devotional

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

The Sixth Day: A Work Very Good

“There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem." — Luke 2:36–38

Introduction

Today is the Sixth Day of Christmas. In the lighthearted counting of the "Twelve Days," this day brings us "Six Geese a-Laying." While this often conjures images of farm life, historical tradition links these six geese to the Six Days of Creation in Genesis. On the sixth day, God created humanity, looked upon all He had made, and declared it "very good."

As we stand on the precipice of a New Year—with 2025 fading into history and 2026 on the horizon—we are invited to look back at our own "creation" over the last year. We also look to the Prophetess Anna, whose life of patient faithfulness reminds us that the work of God is often a long, steady obedience that culminates in joy.

Reflection

There is a specific feeling of satisfaction that comes to an artisan or a craftsman at the end of a long project. Imagine a woodworker who has spent months building a dining table. There were days of rough sawing, days of frustrating mistakes, and days of tedious sanding where progress seemed invisible. But finally, the varnish is applied. The worker steps back, wipes the sawdust from their hands, and looks at the piece not for its flaws, but for its purpose. It is finished. It is ready to be used. It is good.

We are currently in that "stepping back" moment of the year. We look at the months behind us—the struggles, the victories, the mundane Tuesdays, and the holy Sundays. It is easy to look at our year and only see the "knots in the wood"—the things we left undone or the mistakes we made.

However, the Sixth Day of Christmas invites us to view our lives through the lens of Grace. Consider Anna in the Temple. To the outside world, her life might have looked small or sorrowful—decades of widowhood, seemingly doing nothing but waiting. Yet, her "work" was worship. Her "creation" was a heart prepared to recognize the Messiah. When she finally saw Jesus, she didn't see her wasted time; she saw the fulfillment of her hope. Her life was a new creation because she recognized the Creator in her midst. As we review our year, we are challenged to see not just what we achieved in the eyes of the world (as warned against in 1 John), but how we remained faithful in the waiting.

Application

Take ten minutes today to do a spiritual review of your year, mirroring the "Sixth Day" of creation.

1. Look Back: Scroll through your calendar or journal from 2025. Don't focus on what you didn't do. Instead, identify three moments where you felt God’s presence or where you were able to help someone else (in the spirit of St. Egwin).

2. Declare it Good: Thank God for the work He has done in you this year. Even the difficult seasons have contributed to your spiritual formation.

3. Prepare for the New: Just as the sixth day of creation was a prelude to the Sabbath rest, let today be a day of gratitude before you begin the work of the New Year.

Conclusion

The Incarnation—God becoming man—signals the beginning of a New Creation. As we move from the Sixth Day of Christmas toward the New Year, we carry the assurance that our labor is not in vain. Like Anna, if we remain faithful in our daily duties, we will have eyes to see God’s redemption at work in our lives.

Prayer

Creator God, who looked upon the work of Your hands and called it good, I thank You for the year that has passed. I thank You for the days of joy and the days of trial, knowing that You were present in both. Grant me the patience of Anna, that I might serve You faithfully in my daily life, never losing hope in Your promises. As I prepare to step into a new year, help me to walk not in the love of worldly things, but in the light of Your will, recognizing Jesus in all whom I meet. Amen.

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Devotional by: Kenny Sallee, ThM — Deming, NM, USA

The Bible texts are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bible, copyright © 1989, 1993, the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.