MONDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 7:11-17
Colossians 1:1-14
Psalm 123–124
1 Chronicles 1–2

Luke 7:11-17
Have you ever been to a graveside service at the wrong grave? It’s awkward to commit the body to the ground only to have to relocate it. Jesus did one better. The widow of Nain was on her way to bury her only son when the Lord stopped the mournful procession. She expected a word of sympathy but received a gentle rebuke, “Don’t cry.” Not the wisest thing to say to a grieving mother unless you are Jesus. She also expected to walk home alone in tears but instead walked home with her resurrected son, praising God all the way. Someday God will raise us too, and we’ll praise him all the way home.

TUESDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 7:18-35
Colossians 1:15-29
Psalm 125
1 Chronicles 3–4

Colossians 1:15-29
There is no one like Jesus! He stands alone; he has no peers. To know Jesus is to catch a glimpse of the invisible God. He is the designer, creator, and sustainer of all. He predates everything and is the glue that holds everything together. He alone has made reconciliation with God possible through his sacrifice on the cross. And he is the first to experience the final resurrection. So what do we give to him who is supreme above all else? We give him our worship. Isobel Ralston wrote, “Worship is the only gift we can bring to God that he himself has not first given to us.”

WEDNESDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 7:36-50
Colossians 2:1-7
Psalm 126
1 Chronicles 5–6

Psalm 126
This is one of the 15 Psalms of Ascents sung by Jewish pilgrims as they ascended the hills around Jerusalem to celebrate the major feasts. Sow with tears . . . reap with songs of joy. Planting was often associated with a time of sorrow since the planted seed died to produce a harvest. Harvest was a time to celebrate; in dying, the seed gave way to abundant new life. When Jesus sang these words on his way to the feasts, what came to his mind? Perhaps he envisioned a cross and an empty tomb. He sowed in tears that we might reap with joy.

THURSDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 8:1-15
Colossians 2:8-15
Psalm 127
1 Chronicles 7–9

Psalm 127
What are your greatest needs? Take all your wants out of the equation and focus only on your basic needs. Could we agree that shelter, security, and sustenance would top the list? The psalmist was quick to remind the reader:

• that building our homes and families without the Lord is a hollow pursuit; 
• that seeking security apart from the Lord is wasted effort; 
• that being a workaholic leaves one empty, hungering for more.

Those, however, who cherish their relationship with the Lord will find contentment. Don’t take God out of the equation. Without him, we have nothing.

FRIDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 8:16-25
Colossians 2:16-23
Psalm 128
1 Chronicles 10–11

1 Chronicles 10–11
A man died tragically while chasing his windblown hat across eight lanes of traffic. A Chicago Tribune reporter observed, “Isn’t it amazing that we are often willing to risk everything chasing nothing.” King David understood the value of taking a risk. An offhanded comment about longing for a drink from a Bethlehem well inspired three of David’s most trusted soldiers to risk their lives behind enemy lines retrieving that water for him. When David realized what they had risked, he realized such a precious gift was fitting only for the Lord. So, he poured it out as an offering to God. What will you risk for God?

SATURDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 8:26-39
Colossians 3:1-14
Psalm 129
1 Chronicles 12–14

Colossians 3:1-14
When Paul wrote, “Clothe yourselves . . .” he was talking about the daily work clothes of the Christian life, not our Sunday best. These coordinating garments—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience—help us respond properly to the teenager at the fast-food window who spills our fries, or the banker who cannot provide the loan, or the heartbroken neighbor who just buried her husband. And like a warm coat in winter, Paul said, “Over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” A loving response is our best attire. When people cannot see Christ in us, maybe we are wearing the wrong clothes.