MONDAY

Reading for Today:
John 14:22-31
Revelation 2:1-17
Job 25–26
Hosea 7–8

John 14:22-31
There’s a huge difference between someone coming to visit and someone moving in. It’s not difficult to clean up and be on your best behavior for an hour or two when someone visits. But it’s a different scenario if that person stays for a month, a year, or indefinitely. When someone moves in, they eventually see the dirty dishes in the sink and the sinful behaviors in your home. In John 14:23, Jesus told his disciples that he and his Father would make their home with those who obey his teaching. This week, don’t forget that God has moved into your home.

TUESDAY

Reading for Today:
John 15:1-8
Revelation 2:18-29
Job 27
Hosea 9–12

Revelation 2:18-29
Are you closer to God today than you were last month? Or are you just going through the motions of Christianity? We should not be content to stay the same. Rather, we should constantly seek to grow more like Christ. If someone hasn’t seen us for a while and then runs into us at the grocery store, they should see a difference. There should be evidence of our growth. In Revelation 2:19 God commended the church in Thyatira for doing more than they did at first. They were growing and God noticed. Would he notice a change in us too?

WEDNESDAY

Reading for Today:
John 15:9-17
Revelation 3:1-13
Job 28
Hosea 13–14

John 15:9-17
Would your spouse, your children, or your closest friends say you are a joyful person? Sometimes we allow our circumstances to dictate our joy. When things are going well, we’re joyful. But when we face struggles and daily irritations, our joy fades. Instead of being a constant part of our personalities, our joy seems to come and go in waves based on how our day is going. Jesus said that his joy would be in his followers and their joy would be complete (John 15:11). Joy shouldn’t be here today and gone tomorrow. It should be part of who we are.

THURSDAY

Reading for Today:
John 15:18-27
Revelation 3:14-22
Job 29
Joel 1

Job 29
Job did the same thing many of us do when we’re struggling: he wished for times gone by. He thought about the “good old days” when life wasn’t so hard. “How I long for the months gone by,” he said in verse 2. Job thought back to how his life used to be. Sometimes we do the same thing. We fail to live in the present. We’re either looking back, missing the days gone by, or looking forward, preparing for days, months, or years down the line. We miss today because we’re too busy living in the past or the future.

FRIDAY

Reading for Today:
John 16:1-11
Revelation 4
Job 30
Joel 2–3

Joel 2–3
Do you have any lost years? Most of us probably do. Sometimes, lost years look like grief. You literally lost years with someone you love because they were taken from you too soon. Sometimes lost years look like rebellion. You lost years of growth in Christ because you were walking a path he never meant for you to walk. Whatever your lost years look like, there is one thing we know: God can redeem them. In Joel 2:25, he promises, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.”

SATURDAY

Reading for Today:
John 16:12-24
Revelation 5
Job 31:1-23
Amos 1–2

Revelation 5
Heaven isn’t about flying around on clouds with wings on our backs. It’s not even about seeing our loved ones, though that’s definitely something most of are looking forward to. In reality, it’s all about Jesus. In Revelation 5 we see every creature—those in Heaven and those on earth—worshiping the risen Lord. Heaven is about Jesus. It’s about giving him the glory due his name. Make an intentional effort this week to give Jesus glory. You don’t have to wait until you get to Heaven to join in the songs of those who surround the throne.