MONDAY

Reading for Today:
Matthew 10:1-20
Acts 15:1-21
Psalm 23
Genesis 50

Psalm 23
Some contend there was an actual valley named “the shadow of death,” but if the psalmist was speaking metaphorically, what a beautiful picture. The shadow of death is significant. Shadows don’t hurt. They darken our path and obscure our vision, but they don’t hurt. And to have a shadow, one must have a light. There are no shadows in the darkness. Could the psalmist be reminding us that the Light of the World himself journeys with us through life’s valleys and casts the shadows behind us and not in front of us? What a wonderful promise to shepherd us through the tough times.

TUESDAY

Reading for Today:
Matthew 10:21-42
Acts 15:22-41
Psalm 24
Exodus 1–3

Exodus 1–3
There were 80 candles on his Midian birthday cake (and perhaps his social security check had just arrived by camel caravan) when God interrupted Moses’ plan to retire. God’s silence was broken at the burning bush when he presented Moses with the challenge of a lifetime. Unconvinced, Moses tried to excuse himself in favor of a more qualified candidate. But God had spent eight decades preparing Moses to be the deliverer. An Egyptian education fit for a king coupled with 40 years of shepherding in the wilderness made him the perfect choice. How is God preparing you for the adventure of a lifetime?

WEDNESDAY

Reading for Today:
Matthew 11:1-19
Acts 16:1-15
Psalm 25
Exodus 4–6

Matthew 11:1-19
When we think about Bible people who doubted, our minds immediately turn to Thomas, but John had doubts too. We generally skip over that part of his story, but I find great comfort in his dilemma. At times the church has created an atmosphere that tends to suffocate tough questions. We denounce doubt. What we need is a safe place to express our thoughts and feelings. What we need are others who will help us seek answers to our questions and doubts. That’s what Jesus did for John. Be a friend who will sincerely help another leave his doubts behind and follow Jesus.

THURSDAY

Reading for Today:
Matthew 11:20-30
Acts 16:16-40
Psalm 26
Exodus 7–9

Acts 16:16-40
Who are the real prisoners here? Obviously, Paul and Silas were incarcerated, but they enjoyed a freedom that those outside the bars did not. Following hours of preaching and singing, a God-sent earthquake opened the prison, but no one escaped. Why? Unlocking the door to spiritual freedom was more important than leaving prison chains behind. The jailer and his family were never the same again. With bandaged wounds and a meal in their stomachs, Paul and Silas were taken back to prison—the jailer had no choice. He had, however, made the most important choice of his life on the night his soul was shaken to the core.

FRIDAY

Reading for Today:
Matthew 12:1-21
Acts 17:1-15
Psalm 27
Exodus 10–12

Exodus 10–12
Do you remember connect-the-dots pictures? What appeared as random spots on paper made perfect sense when the connecting lines created the image. On that fateful, fearful night in Egypt, seemingly random bloody dots on a door frame must have seemed strange to the Israelite slaves. Indeed, connecting those dots would not have bolstered their understanding. But you can see it clearly, can’t you? Surely, the hyssop branch would have dripped a bit of blood on the ground as it was raised overhead to brush the top of the doorframe. The picture of a cross would have been clear to the Father too. Someday, the true Lamb of God would come to take away the sin of the world once and for all.