MONDAY

Reading for Today:
John 7:25-36
1 Peter 5:8-14
Song of Solomon 8:8-14
Lamentations 4–5

John 7:25-36
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day should have been the first ones to recognize him. They knew the Scriptures better than anyone else. They should have been the first to bring him before the people as their Savior. They should have realized he was the promised one, but they didn’t. It’s a warning to those of us in Christian leadership today. Don’t assume that because you know the Scriptures you cannot be led astray or miss Jesus. Don’t just know the Bible. Know the God of the Bible. Don’t just know facts about Jesus. Know Jesus.

TUESDAY

Reading for Today:
John 7:37-44
2 Peter 1:1-11
Job 1
Ezekiel 1–3

2 Peter 1:1-11
Do you want to be effective and productive in your faith? My guess is, you do. We all do. Today’s text in 2 Peter tells us how. “Make every effort,” Peter said, to add the following characteristics to your life: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love (2 Peter 1:5-8). Grow these qualities, he says, and they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive. The question then is how do we strengthen these qualities? The best way is to stay close to God. Let him grow them in you. He’ll do a much better job than you anyway.

WEDNESDAY

Reading for Today:
John 7:45-53
2 Peter 1:12-21
Job 2
Ezekiel 4–8

Job 2
“Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” Job’s question in verse 10 shows the depth of his faith in God and the wisdom he possessed. When struggles come our way, many of us question God’s goodness. It’s like we assume that if we believe in him he should protect us from bad things. If God did this, however, people would only believe in him because of what they could get from him. Belief would be all about greed and self-preservation instead of about faith and trust. Job, in contrast, understood that God is God, and Job was not.

THURSDAY

Reading for Today:
John 8:1-11
2 Peter 2:1-9
Job 3
Ezekiel 9–12

Ezekiel 9–12
If you’ve ever watched a potter working at his wheel, you understand the importance of pliable material. If the material isn’t pliable, it won’t be shaped or molded properly. It will remain stiff and unmovable. In Ezekiel 11:19, God promised to restore the Israelites. He promised to replace their hearts of stone with hearts of flesh. Hearts of stone are immovable and hard. God can’t work with them. Hearts of flesh, on the other hand, are pliable and responsive, like soft clay in a potter’s hand. What is your heart more like today: stone or flesh?

FRIDAY

Reading for Today:
John 8:12-20
2 Peter 2:10-16
Job 4
Ezekiel 13–15

John 8:12-20
Have you ever tried to get ready in the dark? Most of us wouldn’t want to leave the house if we had to get ready without any light. That’s because light helps us see things correctly. Without light, we are bound to make mistakes. In John 8, Jesus said he was the light of the world. He is the light that helps us see the world (and ourselves) accurately. He’s the light that helps us see where we came from and where we need to go. Today, don’t walk around like you’re in the dark. You’re not. You have the light of the world with you.