MONDAY

Reading for Today:
Matthew 27:27-44
Romans 13
Psalm 68
Deuteronomy 22–26

Psalm 68
God wants to bear our burdens (Psalm 68:19). He doesn’t want us to carry them alone. Sadly, many of us don’t give him the opportunity to help. We pick up our burdens day after day and lug them around as if they were attached to us. God is watching us, waiting for us to let him help carry the weight, but too many of us don’t let him. Today, whatever load you are carrying, allow him to help. Lay it at the foot of the cross and refuse to bend over and pick it up again.

TUESDAY

Reading for Today:
Matthew 27:45-56
Romans 14
Psalm 69:1-18
Deuteronomy 27–28

Matthew 27:45-56
When Jesus died on the cross, at least four miraculous events took place. Darkness fell over the land for several hours (v. 45), the curtain of the temple was torn in two (v. 51), the earth shook (v. 51), and dead people were raised from their graves (v. 52). It took all of these signs to finally convince the centurion that Jesus was, in fact, who he said he was. What does it take for you to fully believe? Do you, like the centurion, need miracles before you will believe, or do you take him at his Word?

WEDNESDAY

Reading for Today:
Matthew 27:57-66
Romans 15:1-13
Psalm 69:19-36
Deuteronomy 29–31

Deuteronomy 29–31
Moses gave the Israelites a choice in Deuteronomy 30:19. They could choose life or death. Obedience or disobedience. Blessings or curses. God doesn’t force us to believe in him or follow his ways. He didn’t back then, and he doesn’t today. Instead, he offers each of us the same choice Moses offered the Israelites. We can choose life, or we can choose death. We choose life when we choose Jesus. We choose death when we choose anything else. Interestingly, the way we choose Jesus is through death. We choose to die to ourselves, and that’s when we really start living.

THURSDAY

Reading for Today:
Matthew 28:1-10
Romans 15:14-33
Psalm 70
Deuteronomy 32

Romans 15:14-33
When someone is struggling, we’re quick to promise prayer. “I’m praying for you,” we say. But how often do we actually do it? We may say that we’ll pray, but then we go on with our day and completely forget about it. In Romans 15, Paul asked the Roman believers to join him in his struggle by praying for him. We can’t always fix someone’s problem, but we can join in their struggle in another way—through prayer. The next time you learn about someone’s pain, don’t just promise to pray. Actually do it. Better yet, do it right then.

FRIDAY

Reading for Today:
Matthew 28:11-20
Romans 16
Psalm 71
Deuteronomy 33–34

Deuteronomy 33–34
Married couples know that healthy relationships don’t happen on their own. They happen when two people put in the time to get to know the other person. Deuteronomy 34:10 tells us that the Lord knew Moses “face to face.” Moses knew God because he put in the time to get to know him. Just as a married couple has to spend time together to have a healthy relationship, so also we have to spend time with the Lord. Do we, like Moses, spend time with God every day, or do we expect the relationship to grow without having to invest?