MONDAY

Reading for Today:

Job 31:24-40
We all trust in something or someone. Some of us trust in money. What can I buy to make me happy? Others trust in a person. Who can I be with to make me happy? Some trust in their job. What can I do to make me happy? Job put his trust in God alone, because he knew God was the only one who could satisfy him completely. Where are you placing your trust today? Are you looking to money, a person, or a job to bring you happiness? Or, have you learned that as long as you have God, you have all you need? 

TUESDAY

Reading for Today:

Revelation 7
Sometimes, the best thing we can do for a loved one in pain is wipe a tear: like when your 7-year-old child is sick and you can’t give him any more medicine or when your adult child tells you she had a miscarriage or when a friend tells you it’s cancer. You might not be able to remove their pain, but you can wipe their tears. In Revelation 7, God wipes the tears of his followers. What a beautiful picture of a loving Father! He is not indifferent to our pain but cares enough to gently wipe away the tears on our cheeks.

WEDNESDAY

Reading for Today:

John 17:6-19
There’s a fine line between being in the world and being of the world. Jesus prayed for us to be in the world. He wanted us to be a light where we are. He wanted us to be different enough that people will notice and want what we have. Creating a “Christian bubble” by surrounding ourselves with people who share our values is not an option. We can only make a difference in this world if we are actually in it. What can you do today to be in the world, but not of the world? 

THURSDAY

Reading for Today:

Obadiah 1-21
What is your response when an enemy gets what you think he deserves? How do you react when someone you dislike or someone who has hurt you loses his job, gets reprimanded at work, or faces a crisis? Although it’s tempting to be happy about their misfortune, and while they may indeed deserve what they get, it’s never okay to rejoice in another’s pain. Proverbs 24:17, 18 says it this way: “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove.” 

FRIDAY

Reading for Today:

John 18:1-18
When God asks us to do something hard, how do we react? Many of us fight against any form of pain. We run away or ask God to send someone else. We beg him to take away anything that might hurt us. We, like Peter, fight against it. Jesus, in contrast, surrendered. “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” he asked in verse 11. Sometimes I wonder, what if that hard, painful thing we don’t want to do is part of God’s plan? Are we willing to “drink the cup” God gives us, even when it’s hard? 

SATURDAY

Reading for Today:

Revelation 11
In John 15:18, Jesus reminded his followers, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” It shouldn’t surprise us, then, that the two witnesses for God in Revelation 11 are mistreated and mocked. It also shouldn’t surprise us when we are treated poorly by the world because of our belief in Jesus. After all, Jesus was treated cruelly in this world. He was falsely accused of crimes he didn’t commit. He was spit upon, laughed at, tortured, and killed. Though being ridiculed, rejected, or persecuted for our faith is painful, Jesus endured much worse for us.