MONDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 23:13-25
Hebrews 9:1-10
Proverbs 25:15-28
Isaiah 40–41

Isaiah 40–41
Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” Did you notice it doesn’t say, “Do not fear, for I will protect you”? God didn’t promise to keep bad things from ever happening to us. He didn’t promise protection, at least not in the way we often think of it. What he did promise was presence. The reason we don’t need to fear is because God promises to be with us through whatever we might face. It is God’s presence, not his protection, that gets us through life.

TUESDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 23:26-31
Hebrews 9:11-28
Proverbs 26:1-16
Isaiah 42–43

Proverbs 26:1-16
It’s one thing to make a mistake. It’s quite another thing to keep making the same mistake time after time. Proverbs 26:11 reminds us, “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.” As unsettling as this imagery is, it’s a proper depiction of foolish behavior. We all make mistakes. None of us is perfect. But we’re not all fools. The deciding factor is what we do after we fail: do we learn from our mistake, or do we repeat it again and again, like a dog returns to its vomit?

WEDNESDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 23:32-37
Hebrews 10:1-18
Proverbs 26:17-28
Isaiah 44–45

Luke 23:32-37
As Jesus hung on the cross he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Jesus asked God to forgive the men who were murdering him while they were in the process of doing so. That’s significant. It’s hard enough to forgive someone after the dust settles from a conflict. How much more difficult it is to forgive someone while the offense is happening. That’s radical forgiveness. That’s what Jesus asks us to do too. Just as God forgave us, we are called to forgive others (see Ephesians 4:32). 

THURSDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 23:38-43
Hebrews 10:19-39
Proverbs 27:1-14
Isaiah 46–48

Hebrews 10:19-39
How does Jesus’ sacrifice affect your daily life? Or does it? According to Hebrews 10:19 and following, it should. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, it says, here are some things you should do. First, you should draw near to God (v. 22). Second, you should cling to hope (v. 23). Third, you should encourage one another (vv. 24 and 25). Fourth, you should continue meeting together (v. 25). Jesus didn’t die so you could live unchanged. He died so you could be transformed. Which of these things will you do more of this week?

FRIDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 23:44-49
Hebrews 11:1-16
Proverbs 27:15-27
Isaiah 49–50

Proverbs 27:15-27
When we look into a mirror we often focus on the surface imperfections: the sunspots, the blemishes, the wrinkles, and the things we wish we could change. Some of us spend hundreds of dollars trying to improve these reflections with creams and beauty treatments. I wonder, though, how often we look deeper. We focus so much of our time and attention on the outside that we sometimes fail to look where it matters most: our hearts. Proverbs 27:19 reminds us, “One’s life reflects the heart.” This week, let’s not forget about the most important aspect of our reflections: our hearts.

SATURDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 23:50-56
Hebrews 11:17-31
Proverbs 28:1-14
Isaiah 51–53

Luke 23:50-56
Have you ever thought about what most of the disciples did during Jesus’ death and burial? Most of them fled. They ran away when things got tough, leaving their leader to die practically alone. A few of them, however, stayed. In this text, we read that the women who had followed Jesus stayed near him. Likewise, Joseph, a member of the Council and a secret disciple (see John 19:38), asked to bury Jesus’ body. If you had lived during this time, where would you have been? Would you have stood by Jesus, or would you have fled, like most of his disciples?