MONDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 24:1-12
Hebrews 11:32-40
Proverbs 28:15-28
Isaiah 54–55

Hebrews 11:32-40
The Hall of Faith chapter (Hebrews 11) can be summed up in the first part of verse 38: “The world was not worthy of them.” The men and women listed in this chapter were so different from those around them that they stood out. They did things other people didn’t understand. They went places others wouldn’t go. They trusted God when others didn’t. They were the abnormal. They were the weird. But they were also the ones lifted up by the Father. They were so different that the world was not worthy of them. This week, don’t be afraid to be different.

TUESDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 24:13-27
Hebrews 12:1-13
Proverbs 29:1-14
Isaiah 56–58

Luke 24:13-27
The two men on the road to Emmaus were blind in more ways than one. First of all, even though they knew Jesus, they didn’t recognize him. Their broken dreams had blinded them. Second, not only were they “kept from recognizing” Jesus, they were also unable to see God’s plan. Have you ever been in a similar condition? Have you ever been so disappointed that you failed to see God in the midst of your situation? If so, remember this: just as Jesus opened the eyes of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, he can open our eyes too. Look for him. He might be closer than you realize.

WEDNESDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 24:28-35
Hebrews 12:14-29
Proverbs 29:15-27
Isaiah 59–61

Proverbs 29:15-27
You can’t unsay something. Once the words are out there, there’s no taking them back. That’s why Proverbs 29:20 is such an important reminder: “Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them.” Once our words leave our mouths, we can’t force them back in. We can apologize for our words. We can explain them. But we can’t unsay them. This week, think before you speak. As the old adage goes, it’s better to say nothing at all than to say something you’ll later wish you could take back.

THURSDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 24:36-44
Hebrews 13:1-8
Proverbs 30
Isaiah 62–64

Hebrews 13:1-8
Contentment isn’t the result of getting everything you want. Rather, it’s the result of trusting in the One who said he is everything you need. In Hebrews 13:5 the author wrote, “Be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (emphasis added). The word because is important here. It tells us the reason we can be content. We can be content because God is with us. Because God is with us, we don’t have to worry about what we don’t have. When we trust God fully, we’re able to rest completely.

FRIDAY

Reading for Today:
Luke 24:45-53
Hebrews 13:9-25
Proverbs 31
Isaiah 65–66

Isaiah 65–66
Isaiah 65:2 says, “All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people.” Can you imagine the beloved Father holding out his hands to Israel, pleading with them to return to him? God longed for his people to come home. He feels the same today about all who have strayed from him. God isn’t eager to punish and judge (though he will if we continually refuse to acknowledge him). He isn’t an angry father waiting to pounce. Rather, he’s a loving father, eager to love. Today, if anything has pulled you away from him, return. He’s waiting.