MONDAY

Reading for Today:
John 20:10-18
Revelation 18
Job 39
Haggai 1–2

Haggai 1–2
How much money do you invest in kingdom things? On the flip side, how much money do you invest in things that only hold value in this life? Unfortunately, many of us spend far too little time and money on eternal things. In Haggai 1:4, Haggai asked the people of Israel why they were living in luxury while God’s house remained in ruins. I think he could easily ask similar questions to many of us. Why are we living in luxury while churches struggle to make their mortgage payments? Why are we living with so much when others live on so little?

TUESDAY

Reading for Today:
John 20:19-23
Revelation 19
Job 40
Zechariah 1–5

Job 40
God didn’t owe Job anything. He didn’t owe him an explanation or an answer. He doesn’t owe us anything either. He is God, after all. He is the Creator. He is the One who holds the world together. Even still, God answered Job. He didn’t ignore him. He came to him and spoke out of the storm. Granted, he didn’t fully explain himself to Job. He didn’t tell all. But he answered. We have a God who cared enough to come near. He did it with Job, and he did it again with Jesus.

WEDNESDAY

Reading for Today:
John 20:24-31
Revelation 20
Job 41:1-11
Zechariah 6–9

Revelation 20
Have you ever watched a sporting event that was clearly one-sided? One team was noticeably stronger than the other. Even if they played their third string players, the stronger team would easily win. That’s exactly how the battle between God and Satan is going to go. It isn’t going to be much of a battle. God will win. Satan will lose. The beautiful thing we need to remember is that when God wins, we win. Though this life can be difficult, we can rest assured that we are on the winning team. Satan cannot defeat us. 

THURSDAY

Reading for Today:
John 21:1-14
Revelation 21
Job 41:12-34
Zechariah 10–14

Zechariah 10–14
Who are you leading? Many of us don’t view ourselves as leaders, especially if we rarely speak in front of a crowd. In reality, we all lead. We lead our children, our friends, and our families. We lead those who look up to us in the faith. A better question to ask is not who you’re leading, but rather, how well you’re leading. The men who led Israel led them astray. Instead of pushing them toward God, they pushed them away. Don’t forget the role you play. You will either lead others closer to God or away from him.

FRIDAY

Reading for Today:
John 21:15-25
Revelation 22
Job 42
Malachi 1–4

John 21:15-25
We often compare our stories to the stories of other people. We see how God is using someone else and wonder why he’s not using us like that. Why can’t our church grow like his? Why can’t my books sell like hers? Why wasn’t I asked to serve there? It’s easy to feel jealous of other believers. In John 21:22, when Peter asked Jesus about John, Jesus responded, “What is that to you?” I think he could easily say the same thing to many of us. It shouldn’t matter to us how God is using someone else. We are, after all, on the same team.