May 3

Judges 17:1-18:31, John 3:1-21, Psalms 104:1-23, Proverbs 14:20-21

Pray: In the quietness and peace of these moments with You God, I want to just say thank You.  Thank You for life, thank You for another day, thank You for Your Word and the way that it still applies and has impact on lives today. As I read these passages today, Lord, open my eyes to Your message for me today. Speak to me through Your words. Quiet my spirit so that I don’t miss anything from You and give me my marching orders for today. Amen.

Read: Our Old Testament reading today shows us, once again, the turning away from God that the Israelites were so guilty of. This time we see Micah and his idol worship along with the other idols being worshiped within the tribe of Dan. We are also introduced to Nicodemus and his interaction with Jesus, which is a powerful teaching that tells us that we must be “born again” if we ever want to see the kingdom of God. It is within this passage that we are given the context for one of the most memorized verses in the Bible (John 3:16). It is in these early days of His ministry that Jesus already recognizes what must happen to Him to save the people that He is ministering to. 

Edify: Every time I read the book of Judges, I find myself wondering how in the world the tribes of Israel can be so foolish as to fall back into idol worship, but then I think about my own life and the way that I (and many others) struggle with idols in our own lives. I am reminded that following Christ is a choice that we make every day of our lives and that if we choose to follow our own way for even one moment of one day, we have fallen prey to the worship of an idol (the worship of oneself).

Practice: Today, take the time to consider your idols. What are those things that you have (intentionally or unintentionally) allowed to take precedent over Christ in your life? Some people worship their job or the pursuit of money over Christ. Some worship their children. Some worship titles and positions. Some worship the accumulation of “stuff”. Are there things in your life that have taken the place of Christ?