May 1

Judges 13:1 – 14:20, John 1:29-51, Psalms 102:1-28, Proverbs 14:15-16

Pray: Heavenly Father, today I want to begin with giving You the honor and praise for the beauty of Your creation. You set the stars into place and gave the sun and moon their course in the sky. You created the wonder of all living things of which I am a part and, although undeserving, You have given me another day to live for You. Help me to make the most of this day that You have given me and may I truly be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ today and always. Amen.

Read: Such a power packed set of readings today… We are introduced to Samson at his birth and read up to his marriage and the riddle he gave to the people of the village of the woman that he wanted to be his wife. As a result of her treachery, we see the first signs of Samson’s strength given by the Holy Spirit. Our New Testament readings tell us of John the Baptist's proclamation that Jesus is the Messiah that everyone has been waiting for, as well as, Jesus calling His first disciple to follow Him.

Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed with the struggles of life and wondering how things could ever get better? The psalmist writes today for those occasions and reminds us that there is peace and comfort found in the Lord. 

Edify: Proverbs tells us that it is prudent to be cautious as to the way that we progress about going ahead with plans. There is a need to measure the costs along the way. Would you build a house without first considering what it would cost? Would you build it without a good set of plans and drawings? Would you attempt to build it without knowing what you are getting yourself into? There are many who do that very thing… maybe not with a house, but in other areas… buying a car, entering into a relationship, etc. There are costs for everything that we do. Some are worth it while others aren’t. It is important to consider everything before jumping headfirst into something. 

Practice: When Jesus called His first disciples in our reading today, He didn’t have to say a word. Did you notice that? John notices whom Jesus was and describes Him as the Messiah and John’s followers left John and went to follow Jesus. Would you be so bold as to leave everything to follow Jesus? Would people be able to look at you and know that you are a follower of Christ? Today, take an inventory of your walk with Christ. Are you a Sunday morning Christian where your only real interaction with Jesus is on Sunday or are you a seven day a week follower of Christ where people know you must be a follower of Christ because of your life?