MONDAY

Reading for Today:
John 8:21-30
2 Peter 2:17-22
Job 5
Ezekiel 16

Job 5
Just because something might be correct doesn’t mean it needs to be said. In Job chapter 5, Job’s friend Eliphaz told Job some things that were, in fact, correct. For instance, he told him not to despise the Lord’s discipline because God often uses discipline to help us grow. That statement is accurate. God’s discipline, though painful, is beneficial for us. The reality of Job’s situation, however, was that Job’s hardships were not a form of God’s discipline. Eliphaz made an error we sometimes make as well. He assumed he understood a situation when in reality he did not.

TUESDAY

Reading for Today:
John 8:31-47
2 Peter 3:1-9
Job 6
Ezekiel 17–19

John 8:31-47
Sometimes, it’s challenging to distinguish God’s voice from the many other voices we hear on a daily basis. Think about the things that compete for your attention most days: the online world, television, family members, friends, coworkers, and a variety of others. Our world is loud, and it can be difficult to hear God through the busyness and noise. Nonetheless Jesus warned, “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says” (John 8:47). The question is, do you hear him? And if not, what voices do you need to quiet so you can?

WEDNESDAY

Reading for Today:
John 8:48-59
2 Peter 3:10-18
Job 7
Ezekiel 20–21

Job 7
Has there ever been something you felt like you couldn’t—or shouldn’t—talk to God about? Maybe you’ve found yourself in a situation similar to Job’s. Maybe you doubted God or felt anger toward him. One lesson we can learn from Job is that God is big enough to handle our questions, doubts, and even anger. In verse 11 Job said, “I will speak out,” and then went on to tell God what he was feeling—including some of the ugly emotions many of us would try to hide. God doesn’t ask us to check our emotions at the door when we become Christians, so don’t hide them from him.

THURSDAY

Reading for Today:
John 9:1-12
1 John 1:1-4
Job 8
Ezekiel 22–23

Ezekiel 22–23
In Ezekiel 22, the Lord told Ezekiel about the horrible sins the Israelites committed. He also told Ezekiel he did not want to destroy the nation. He said in verse 30, “I looked for someone among them who would . . . stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” God wanted to find a faithful person among the Israelites, someone to lead them back to God. Unfortunately, he found no one. Be that kind of person today. Be the one who stands in the gap.

FRIDAY

Reading for Today:
John 9:13-25
1 John 1:5-10
Job 9:1-20
Ezekiel 24–26

John 9:13-25
The blind man Jesus healed didn’t know all the answers, but he knew enough. He knew Jesus was the one who healed him, and he wasn’t afraid to share that knowledge with others. In John 9:25, after the religious leaders questioned him about Jesus, the man answered, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” He did not go to Bible college or have a lot of Scripture memorized, but what he knew about Jesus, he shared. Don’t allow what you don’t know about God to stop you from sharing what you do know.

SATURDAY

Reading for Today:
John 9:26-41
1 John 2:1-11
Job 9:21-35
Ezekiel 27–28

1 John 2:1-11
It’s easy to claim to be a Christian. It’s a lot harder to live like it. After all, living like a Christian means behaving as Jesus did. First John 2:6 says, “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” That means that if we claim to be followers of Jesus, we need to love like Jesus loved. We need to forgive like Jesus forgave. We need to practice humility like Jesus humbled himself on the cross. We need to serve like Jesus served. Just claiming to follow him isn’t going to cut it. We have to live like him too.