MONDAY

Reading for Today:
Mark 15:33-41
Galatians 5:1-12
Psalm 116
2 Samuel 20–21

Psalm 116
Have you ever talked to someone who was distracted by something else? Maybe they were on their phone and didn’t take their eyes off the screen when you spoke. Or maybe they had their head buried in a book and didn’t seem to notice you were there. Though people may be distracted from truly hearing or seeing us, our God never will be. Psalm 116:2 says he turns his ear toward us when we call out to him. That’s a great image, isn’t it? No matter how many other things are clamoring for his attention, when we speak, he listens.

TUESDAY

Reading for Today:
Mark 15:42-47
Galatians 5:13-26
Psalm 117
2 Samuel 22

Galatians 5:13-26
Sometimes we try to develop the fruit of the Spirit on our own. We try to be more loving, more joyful, more patient, more peaceful, and so on. What we fail to realize when we do this, however, is that these characteristics are fruit of the Spirit. They can’t be crafted or grown by us, no matter how hard we try. They can only be grown by God. If we want to be more loving or more joyful, the answer isn’t to try harder. It’s to lean more. Lean into the Father and allow him to grow the fruit in you.

WEDNESDAY

Reading for Today:
Mark 16
Galatians 6
Psalm 118
2 Samuel 23–24

Psalm 118
How do you typically greet the day? When you wake up in the morning, do you thank the Lord for another day, or do you grit your teeth because of what’s before you or behind you? Naturally, some days are harder than others, days when it’s hard to get out of bed, days when you’re tired or sad or struggling. Even on the hard days, though, there is still something to rejoice in. God has given us this day (Psalm 118:24). Let’s not waste it by complaining about things we can’t change. Let’s rejoice in it instead.

THURSDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 1:1-25
Ephesians 1:1-14
Psalm 119:1-8
1 Kings 1

Luke 1:1-25
In God’s kingdom, there are rarely coincidences. Instead, there are God-orchestrated moments. We read about one such moment in Luke 1. Though some might claim it was a coincidence that Zechariah was chosen to go into the temple in the time of King Herod, it was no coincidence. God orchestrated the situation because he had a specific message for Zechariah about the child he and his wife would soon have. The next time a situation seems coincidental in your life, think to yourself: what might God be doing in this? Could this be a God-orchestrated moment?

FRIDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 1:26-38
Ephesians 1:15-23
Psalm 119:9-16
1 Kings 2–3

1 Kings 2–3
If you could ask God for only one thing in this life, what would you ask of him? Would you ask for wealth or stability, happiness or joy, comfort or ease? When God came to Solomon in a dream and asked him what he wanted in 1 Kings 3, Solomon didn’t ask for wealth or long life or successful military campaigns. Instead, he asked for wisdom, a gift that would not only benefit himself but also those he led. He wasn’t selfish in his request because he knew that the best gift he could ask for would benefit more than just himself.