MONDAY

Reading for Today:
Mark 9:1-13
1 Corinthians 15:29-58
Psalm 93
Ruth 2–3

Ruth 2–3
When we are consistently kind, hard working, faithful, and loving, people notice. It happened with Ruth in the Old Testament, and it happens today. After Ruth left behind everything she knew, people talked about her kindness and faithfulness to her mother-in-law, Naomi. They talked about it so much, in fact, that Boaz heard the stories and sought to protect Ruth (Ruth 2:8-12). Ruth’s reputation followed her. In the same way, our reputations, for better or for worse, will follow us. Let’s strive to be like Ruth and develop a reputation for love, kindness, and faithfulness.

TUESDAY

Reading for Today:
Mark 9:14-32
1 Corinthians 16
Psalm 94
Ruth 4

Mark 9:14-32
How often do we come to Jesus like this man came to him? “If you can help us,” we say. “If you can?” Jesus responds. There is no if about it. Jesus is fully capable of helping every single one of us with every single problem we face. Granted, he might not fix everything in the ways we would like him to, but he is 100 percent capable. There is nothing too big for him to help with. There is nothing too broken for him to fix. The next time you bring something to Jesus, get rid of the if.

WEDNESDAY

Reading for Today:
Mark 9:33-50
2 Corinthians 1:1-11
Psalm 95
1 Samuel 1–2

Psalm 95
Psalm 95 warns against hardening our hearts: “If only you would hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (verses 7, 8). Like a hardened piece of clay to a potter, a hardened heart is not useful to God. A hard piece of clay cannot be molded into a piece of pottery. It can’t be shaped into anything because it can’t be moved. It’s inflexible and basically useless. Our hearts become hardened when we repeatedly resist God and seek to do things our own way. This week, put your heart into the Potter’s hand. Don’t let it become hard and immovable.

THURSDAY

Reading for Today:
Mark 10:1-16
2 Corinthians 1:12-24
Psalm 96
1 Samuel 3–5

1 Samuel 3–5
Why did the Lord speak to Samuel? Eli would have been a more understandable choice. After all, Eli was the priest at the time and an adult, whereas Samuel was still a child. Unfortunately, Eli’s heart was not in the right place. Samuel’s, on the other hand, was. The text tells us Samuel was ministering before the Lord (3:1) and lying down in the temple (3:3). Apparently, Samuel was more willing to listen than Eli. Today, are you ready to hear from God? If he had a message to tell you, would he know when and where to find you?

FRIDAY

Reading for Today:
Mark 10:17-34
2 Corinthians 2
Pslam 97
1 Samuel 6–8

Mark 10:17-34
The rich man had one barrier to his relationship with God: his money. He cared so much about his money and his possessions that he was unwilling to give them up when Jesus asked him to. Is there anything in your life you are unwilling to give up? Maybe it’s a relationship or your home. Maybe it’s your possessions or your money. Maybe it’s your job or your source of entertainment. Jesus isn’t asking us to sell everything we have and give the money to the poor. But, if he did, would you be willing?

SATURDAY

Reading for Today:
Mark 10:35-52
2 Corinthians 3
Psalm 98
1 Samuel 9–10

2 Corinthians 3
Do you look more like Jesus today than you did yesterday? Many of us know we need to be more loving, more patient, more humble, and more holy in our interactions with others. The problem is, we can’t get there on our own. We try as hard as we can, but we’ll never make much progress without Jesus’ help. In reality, the only way to look like Jesus is to be around him. This week, spend a few extra minutes in his presence each day. You might be surprised by how much of his character rubs off on you.