May 19

1 Samuel 24:1-25:44, John 10:22-42, Psalm 116:1-19, Proverbs 15:20-21



Pray: Spend a moment in prayer reflecting on God’s mercy in your life. How has He spared you, protected you, withheld what you deserve, and even given you breath for today? In His mercy “He bends down to listen, (therefore) I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:2). Join the psalmist in prayer today.

Read: Observe as you read how the Lord is merciful and how things go well for those who show mercy. 

Edify: It’s easy to live your life quick to take offense. We can fall into an unhealthy pattern where we live our lives with a spirit of offense, where we believe even those with our best interests at heart are against us. Saul had this spirit of offense, yet David disarmed him by showing undeserved kindness and mercy. Notice David’s language such as “Perhaps the Lord will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you” (1 Samuel 24:12) and “may the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one…the Lord is my advocate…” (1 Samuel 24:15). We are able to show mercy when we surrender our prideful desire to be judge and jury over everyone and instead trust that the Lord is the judge. David lost sight of this when he was infuriated with Nabal, but Abigail’s kindness reminded him that he is to show mercy and trust in the Lord’s justice. And as always, the clearest picture of God’s mercy comes in the person of Jesus, who shows great patience towards those who do not understand and even want to harm Him. 

Practice: Join the psalmist in praying as long as you have breath. A common liturgy in traditional churches has the pastor call out, “Lord, in your mercy.” The congregation responds, “Hear our prayers!” Let today’s psalmist inform your prayer life as you pray short, one-sentence “breath prayers.” Let your prayer life disarm you, enable you to have self-control, wisdom, lowered anxiety, growing in childlike faith, gratitude for God saving you, etc. Throughout the day, tell Him what He is like and how you desire to respond. Close these brief breath prayers with “Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers!”

May 18

1 Samuel 22:1-23:29, John 10:1-21, Psalm 115:1-18, Proverbs 15:18-19



Pray: Pray for the slaughter of the innocent in our world. Pray for the unborn in our country. Pray for humanitarian crises across the world. Pray for justice for tyrants like Saul who are driving this violent rage in our world. Pray for wisdom for civic and church leaders to know how to intervene and bring peace and restoration.

Read: You’re invited to read the two proverbs before going through the Old Testament.  Remember that this wisdom is from God, through Solomon, who is the son of David. How can you see this wisdom unfold in the situation with David and Saul? How have you seen this wisdom unfold in your own life?

Edify: Jesus shows His necessity and His love through His identity as the “Good Shepherd.” When we’re following an imposter and a thief then we can prepare for heartache and wandering in our lives. This enemy of our souls “purpose is to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10a). However, when we’re following the Good Shepherd, we find that His “purpose is to give (us) a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10b). A lot is talked about with being independent, autonomous, and a leader; however, how good of a follower are you? When the shepherd leads you away from thorns and poisonous plants, are you content to trust him or do you like to find out the hard way? When the shepherd leads you away from a cliff, do you prefer to see how close you can get to the edge? The Good Shepherd knows what you need, and He has shown that He will lay down His very life to save you. Draw close and joyfully follow the Good Shepherd today.

Practice: Practice repentance today. Honestly access the ways you have been flirting with poison, thorns, and cliffs. Then, turn from those potentially destructive ways and hear the voice of your Shepherd call your name. Draw close to your welcoming Good Shepherd and listen for Him when you face temptation.

May 17

1 Samuel 20:1-21:15, John 9:1-41, Psalm 113:1-114:8, Proverbs 15:15-17 



Pray: Spend a couple moments in silence and listen for God. The earth itself trembles in the presence of the Lord. Ask God for a life of joyful trembling in His presence as you acknowledge His work in your life. 

Read: Jesus’ teaching is the timeless truth of God. After seeing Jesus’ healing work intentionally done on the Sabbath day, consider His teaching about spiritual blindness. Who is “blind” in both the Old Testament reading and New Testament reading? What can you determine is the source for their “blindness,” and what actions and attitudes demonstrate ”blindness” on their parts?

Edify: The way to keep your eyes open spiritually is to worship Jesus as the once-physically-blind man did, as well as, to have covenant friendships as David and Jonathan had. Jesus is the one who physically and spiritually opens eyes. Once we recognize His eye-opening presence in our lives, we stay near Him and give Him the honor that He is due. That is life with the eyes of your soul wide open. Further, in the complicated world we live in, we are still prone to have “blind spots” in our lives. Like David, we need a friend like Jonathan who isn’t going to abandon us and will watch over us with love. This is a beautiful demonstration of the Christian life and our need for the support of others in life groups, serving areas, Celebrate Recovery, and other avenues of relationships within the Christ-centered community called the Church.

Practice: Take an honest assessment as to whether you have Christ-honoring relationships in your life. If so, tell those that you view them that way and how thankful you are for their friendship. Direct them as to how they could serve you better and ask how you could serve them better. If you do not have Christ-honoring friends, then take a step towards them today by joining a life group or ministry area within the church. The best day to plant a tree is 10 years ago, but if you didn’t then the second best day is today. So it goes with getting involved in Jesus’ Church. Get connected today!

May 16

1 Samuel 18:5-19:24, John 8:31-59, Psalm 112:1-10, Proverbs 15:12-14

Pray: Proverbs 15:14 says, “A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.” Ask God to give you a hunger for His Word as you read today. Ask God for the knowledge to know the difference between knowledge and trash as you hear so many voices throughout this week. Commit to “taking out the trash” that communicates foolishness in your life and having the courage to face the truth of God.

Read: An invitation is to do your reading out of order today (and a challenge to read a little extra). Yesterday’s Psalm 111 celebrates the character and nature of God. Today’s Psalm 112 was meant by David to be a companion to 111 detailing the character and nature of the godly person. Psalm 111 is meant to be like the sun (the source) and Psalm 112 is like the moon which line-by-line reflects the light of the sun. Now, consider that you get a look at the life of the author of these psalms in the Old Testament reading. How does David demonstrate Psalm 112 in his life? How is Jesus the perfect image of the godly person in the New Testament reading?

Edify: Do you have an eye for the truth or do you have a jealous eye like Saul? Saul’s eye was set to murder, lie, and manipulate because he wanted to maintain control and have the most power and glory in the nation. The Scripture says that he brought on himself a “tormenting spirit” as his mind and emotions would not ever settle. He was a prisoner. He was not free. See David as one who points forward to Jesus who operates above reproach, displays strength and humility simultaneously, and even serves by playing the harp for the one who wants to harm him. David has a difficult and complicated situation, but he is the one in the story who is free. Jesus says that He IS the truth, and He has come to set us free. And we either love the truth, which is Him, or we are a son of the devil who loves deceit. And by this decision of that love, we will become more and more like Christ or like the devil. 

Practice: Out of your love for Jesus the “I AM,” ask Him to take your jealous eye towards someone and redirect your eye to Him. He is the one that will set you free from bitterness, anger, jealousy, malice, and rage that torments and imprisons us. Ask God for an opportunity to anonymously serve, in some way this week, the person that you harbor these feelings (or could potentially harbor these feelings) towards. . 

May 15

 1 Samuel 17:1-18:4, John 8:21-30, Psalm 111:1-10, Proverbs 15:11 

Pray: Two questions to ponder as you prayerfully begin. First, how are you in need of God’s grace? Tell Him how you feel uncertain, confused, weak, inadequate, etc. and ask Him for His strength and love. Second, how have you seen God’s grace at work in your life over the past week? Today’s psalmist tells us, “He causes us to remember his wonderful works” (111:4a). Ask for His encouragement and refreshment as He causes you to remember His provision, His protection, His guidance, etc. in your life.

Read: As you read about David’s exploits in battle with Goliath, Jesus sharing what He is prepared to do on a cross, as well as the Psalm and Proverbs; consider the price that has to be paid in order for us to live in freedom and in covenant with God. 

Edify: It is so easy to desire glory and acclaim. Some of the toughest times we experience in life are the mundane, often difficult, ordinary daily obligations. It’s tough to change diapers when no one is looking, go visit someone in a nursing home, serve at church, or do your least favorite part of your job when you know no one is noticing or rewarding you for it. Jesus withholds condemnation that we deserve in His mercy, is completely truthful, and allows Himself to be “lifted up” on a cross so we won’t die in our sins. He spent 30 years in ordinary Jewish life and building as a carpenter. He then spent 3 years in ministry proclaiming the kingdom, feeding man, healing man, and yet His reward would be a public execution of the worst kind. However, Jesus lived a Spirit-led, faithful life that gave God glory. Further, you see David ready to defend the glory of God with Goliath’s insults. The secret to David’s courage and fierce action was revealed in his faithful service to his father in the wilderness when no one but sheep were watching. David’s faithfulness in taking on bears and lions to protect the flock prepared him for the divine moment where he had the opportunity to protect God’s flock. And due to his faithful service in the wilderness, his heart was prepared to give God the glory after a momentous victory.

Practice: How is God calling you to serve Him and others in obscurity? Take courage in your current callings like being a church volunteer, mother, husband, and employee and know that “all He does is just and good…” (Psalm 111:7).  Fear Him; in other words, know that He deserves the glory. Obey His commands in the day to day life when you get no acclaim and find that you grow in wisdom.

May 14

1 Samuel 15:1-16:23, John 8:1-20, Psalm 110:1-7, Proverbs 15:8-10



Pray: Saul pleads for forgiveness because he was “afraid of the people and did what they demanded” (1 Samuel 15:24). How many times I have been guilty of such a thing. I give in to what people want rather than staying true to what God wants. Today, let’s go together to the Lord in prayer seeking His forgiveness for listening to people rather than Him. Then, let’s commit to hearing His voice above all other voices. Lastly, having heard the voice of the Lord, let us ask for strength to obey.

Read: The difference is amazing, isn’t it? When you compare Samuel to Saul, there’s very little comparison to actually be made. Samuel listens and obeys the Lord. Saul listens to Samuel and engages in a paraphrase of God’s commands. Saul does some of what Samuel instructs, but then branches out on his own. The result is quite tragic for Saul, and agonizing for Samuel. If I were to pattern my life after one of these guys, I think I know which one I’d choose.

Edify: Why didn’t they bring the man? A woman could not be guilty of adultery without a man. Scripture even says she was caught, “in the act.” Yet, we have no mention of the man. Was he prominent, so they let him go to avoid embarrassment? Did he promise to never do it again? Did they even care about catching either one, but really only wanted to trap Jesus? The last question probably gets more to the truth than the others. Still, it has always bothered me that this woman, though certainly guilty of her sin, is singled out, while the guy walks away. We like to think we are more like Jesus than we are the Pharisees. It’s mostly wishful thinking. We point out the “welfare abuser” but ignore the greed in our hearts. We demonize the political party opposite ours, but never call out the sin in our camp. We point fingers at the sins of others, but are perfectly content with our own. Imagine Jesus standing in front of us and then He stoops down and writes in the sand. We can read His words. What is He writing to you?

Practice: If you recall a few months ago, sacrificial offerings were established as a part of the worship of the Lord. They’re not unimportant. They were commanded by God. The people were given very clear instructions about sacrificial offerings. It could almost seem that the offerings were the most important thing that the people of God could do. Almost. Then, Samuel confronts Saul, who was about to make an offering to the Lord. “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to His voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). You can make offerings without being obedient, but you can’t be obedient without making sacrificial offerings. One is a product of the other. Samuel knew this. Saul did not. God wants our obedience. Then, when we practice obedience, all the other things will naturally flow from that place.

May 13

1 Samuel 14:1-52, John 7:31-53, Psalm 109:1-31, Proverbs 15:5-7



Pray: Do you need more of God? To be sure, He’s not a vending machine. Yet, we find that over and over again, He is willing to offer more of Himself to us, if we just ask and are willing to receive. In John 7:39, we find Jesus telling us that the living water we so desperately long for is, “the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in [Jesus].” Do you want more of God in your life, your marriage, your family, your job, this world? Ask and receive.

Read: The word discrimination gets thrown about so much that it has nearly lost its power. It’s a shame, really, because actual discrimination does still exist, and it even existed in the time of Jesus. We see it in John 7:40-52. Many of the people physically saw and listened to Jesus! What a privilege. Yet, many of those did not believe in Him because…He came from Galilee. Geographic discrimination?!?! It sounds foolish to think the Messiah would be dismissed because of where He was raised as a child. Yet, they did just that. Equally as foolish, though, is the adult today who continues a high school rivalry long after graduation, or the person who thinks everyone from “that place” (state, county, town, area, etc.) is all the same. It could happen with economic status, neighborhood, race, denominational affiliation, etc. When we practice discrimination, we show just how foolish we really are. If you don’t believe that, just think of the guys in John 7:40-52.

Edify: It’s always needed, and it’s always worthwhile. What is it? It’s discipline. As parents, we discipline our children. As managers or bosses, sometimes you have to take disciplinary actions toward an employee. We even have to discipline ourselves to eat healthy, go to the gym, etc. It’s all around us. Jesus even calls us to discipline. Did you know that “discipline” and “disciple” are derived from the same root word? They’re very closely related. To be a disciple naturally assumes that one has discipline in his/her life. They’re not inseparable. Proverbs 15:5 tells us, “Only a fool despises a parent's discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise.” Whether it is from a parent, a life group leader, a pastor, a sponsor, a spouse, or a trusted friend, we all could use a little correction from time to time.

Practice: The psalmist, David, offers a challenge to me today. Hear his words: “the wicked slander me and tell lies about me…[they] fight against me for no reason. I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations even as I am praying for them.” When everything within us says we should retaliate, we should take revenge, David shouts a resounding, “NO!” He would take it to the Lord and hand it over. He would love them! He would continue praying for them. No wonder he was a man after God’s own heart. May it be so for you and me as well.