February 11

Exodus 32:1-33:23, Matthew 26:69-27:14, Psalm 33:1-11, Proverbs 8:33-36



Pray: Pray today that we will not find ourselves falling into the trap of reverting to our old ways when healthier habits have been fostered in our lives. If you have ever struggled with a addiction or bad habit, you know how easy it can be to “backslide” or relapse. Pray that you won’t find yourself on this slippery slope and pray that others do not as well. Let’s pray, in one voice, that we will keep to the path leading to God. 

Read: In 1980, the Isley Brothers had a chart-topping hit entitled, “Here We Go Again”. This song title is indicative of our reading from Exodus today as the Israelite people, even though they had seen the invisible God in action, find themselves reverted back to the desire for familiar gods that they could see and fashion into whatever image they desired. I wonder if things would have been different for the Israelites if they had the privilege of reading our Psalm today where it says, “But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine.” And today we enter the courtroom, of sorts, where Jesus is condemned and read of Judas’ anguish over the choice he made for a mere 30 pieces of silver. 

Edify: The text today is rich with so many lessons for each of us. There is great drama in the trial and condemnation of Jesus. It’s also in these passages that Peter does the very thing that he said that he would never do. He denied Jesus… not once, not twice, but three times. He denied knowing or having anything to do with Him. Even with Jesus being mere feet away from him, Peter denied any association with the man he had spent the last three years with. If it was that easy for Petra, the Rock, to do it, then how much easier could it be for us? As followers of Christ, we will find ourselves in situations where we could easily deny our faith because of ease, but how much more powerful of a statement of faith is it for people to see you stand up for your beliefs in the midst of trials. 

Practice: Today, you are challenged to think about the idols in your life. Most people have them, we just don’t fashion them out of gold or silver or even wood today… money, sex, cars, houses, your children, notoriety at work, clothes, food…. Whatever yours may be… you are challenged to lay them down for the cause of Christ. May we spend our days focused on the God that saved us rather than the accumulation of stuff. May we lift high the God who created us rather than those things created by man. 

February 10

Exodus 30:11-31:18, Matthew 26:47-68, Psalm 32:1-11, Proverbs 8:27-32



Pray: The psalmist writes, “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.” Let’s start today by confessing to the Lord that we are rebellious in spirit and that we are in need of forgiveness.

Read: The Proverbs reading for this week has been all about wisdom and the impact that wisdom has on our lives. God says that wisdom is primary and fundamental. It is the foundation on which all of life is built. Jesus had wisdom given directly to Him by God, the Father. Even in His final days, He was wise in the way that He poised Himself during what had to have been the most terrible of days imaginable for Him. Today we read of Jesus' betrayal, arrest, and questioning before Caiaphas. Jesus exemplified the trait that many of us need to learn… that sometimes, it is better to remain silent than to speak too quickly. I can only imagine that you could have heard a pin drop in the room as the leading priest and the high council waited with bated breath to hear Jesus’ response. 

Edify: Our Old Testament reading speaks to an important truth that we take for granted far too often. “The Lord then gave these instructions to Moses. ‘Tell the people of Israel to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you forever. It helps you remember that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.’” It goes on to say that there are consequences to desecrating the Sabbath… death. When was the last time you practiced a Sabbath? I’m not talking about going to church, although that can be a part of it, but I am talking about truly “resting in the Lord”. 

Practice: On Sunday. I challenge you to “take a Sabbath”… to rest in the Lord, to spend more time with your family, to spend time in prayer, to take a nap (a wise person once said that sometimes the most holy thing you can do is take a nap…). Do whatever it takes for you to center yourself and find your focus once again so that you can be rested and rejuvenated in Christ for the sake of Kingdom work.

February 9

Exodus 29:1-30:10, Matthew 26:14-46, Psalm 31:19-24, Proverbs 8:14-26



Pray: Just as Judas was willing to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, we are often guilty of doing the very same thing for much less. Pray today that you would remain steadfast in your willingness to call on the name of Jesus. Psalm 31:19-20 says,

“How great is the goodness

    you have stored up for those who fear you.

You lavish it on those who come to you for protection,

    blessing them before the watching world.

 You hide them in the shelter of your presence,

    safe from those who conspire against them.

You shelter them in your presence,

    far from accusing tongues.”

May we find our shelter in the Christ who will protect us even in the midst of our betrayals.

Read: Today we read of the dedication of the priests for service in the Tabernacle. It is through these priests and their work that God wanted to prepare the people for the coming of Jesus, who would once again offer a direct relationship with God for anyone who would come to Him. This same Jesus, that the priests were preparing the way for, shares a final meal with His disciples before His death. It is our New Testament reading where we are able to see into the Upper Room where the disciples and Jesus shared this meal and where Jesus tells Peter that he will deny Jesus. We then find ourselves with Jesus sobbing in the Garden of Gethsemane over what He knows is about to happen, but He always says, “Your will, not mine.”

Edify: How often have we been guilty of praying the exact opposite of Jesus’ prayer? Christ prayed, “Your will, not mine”, but we pray, “my will be done”. We live in a get it done now at whatever cost type of society. It doesn’t matter who gets hurt, we want it done and we want it done the way we want it done and we want the glory for it. Christ agonized over what was about to happen to Him in the Garden of Gethsemane and while He did tell His Father, “If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me,” He never tried to get out of the role that He knew He had to play. Twice, Jesus said, “Your will be done”. 

Practice: Where in your life are you more concerned about YOUR will being done rather than that of your Heavenly Father? As you go about your day… in your interactions with other people, think about the weight that Jesus had placed on His shoulders. Where can you “give a little” to make a huge impact in the life of someone else?

February 8

Exodus 28:1-43, Matthew 25:31-26:13, Psalm 31:9-18, Proverbs 8:12-13



Pray: The Psalm today begins with, “Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress.” What is distressing you? What is there in your life, world, being that needs to be handled by God and God alone? Pray today to give God ultimate authority and dominion over those things in your life that cause distress for you. Ask for discernment to begin to take steps to overcome those things in your life that cause you distress so that you can live more fully into the life that God has planned for you. Maybe there is some assistance you need to seek through Christian counseling, maybe some financial counseling to overcome debt, maybe some sort of relationship help, whatever it is, ask God for His mercy in that part of your life.

Read: In the Exodus text, God is teaching people how to worship Him. To do so, He needed ministers to oversee the operations of the Tabernacle and to help the people maintain their relationship with God. The priests performed the daily sacrifices, maintained the Tabernacle and counseled people on how to follow God. They were the people’s representatives before God and therefore were required to live lives that were worthy of their office. The clothing of the priest set him apart from all others in the Tabernacle. Each piece was crafted specifically to the smallest of details as given by God. In Matthew, we begin the road to the death of Christ. We read of the beginnings of the plot to kill Jesus followed by a beautiful story of the woman who anointed Jesus’ head with expensive oil.  The disciples voiced their indignation, while Jesus praised the woman for her service.

Edify: Each piece of the High Priest’s garment was custom tailored and crafted by skilled artisans. All of us have special skills. God wants to fill each of us with His Holy Spirit so that we will use those skills for His glory. The woman who anointed Jesus saw the opportunity to worship the Son of God by lavishing Him with expensive perfumed oil. This charity was seen as a waste to the disciples but to Jesus, He was thankful knowing what He knew was going to take place very soon. 

Practice: Think about your special gifts and abilities and the ways you could use them for God’s work in the world. A talent must be used, or it will diminish. Where in the life of the church could you plug in to use your gifts and talents? Where could you get involved in the community to be the “hands and feet” of Christ? Seek opportunities around you to invest in the world to make it a better place, to be more like Jesus.

February 7

Exodus 26:1-27:21, Matthew 25:1-30, Psalm 31:1-8, Proverbs 8:1-11



Pray: Pray today that God will provide opportunities to practice what we preach, that we would be given the chance to share the love of Christ in a practical way. Maybe it’s a friendly conversation with that person sitting alone at lunch, or possibly paying for the coffee for someone at Starbucks, or maybe it’s being so bold as to engage in a conversation about faith with someone that you have felt a burden for. Whatever way the Holy Spirit leads today, pray for a faithfulness as we strive to be ready for Christ’s return through the life we live today.

Read: The Exodus reading tells of the detailed majesty of what the Tabernacle was to look like. Don’t miss the simple elegance that was built into this Tabernacle building scene. The Tabernacle was the first set-up and tear down campus of a church. I know the Lincolnton and Northside readers out there can appreciate this. God gave Moses specific instructions as to how this House of the Lord was to be built. Can you build it in your mind? Jesus also told today’s parables to clarify further what it means to be ready for His return and how to live until He comes. 

Edify: In the story of the 10 bridesmaids in Matthew 25:1-13, we are taught that every person is responsible for their own spiritual health and well-being. There is a responsibility upon each of us to remain vigilant in our efforts to be well prepared for the day of Christ’s return. The story of the three servants demonstrates for us the necessity of using what God has entrusted to us well. We all have gifts and talents that must be utilized for the good of the Kingdom. It is our responsibility to share and multiply those gifts rather than keep them secret and safe. 

Practice: Psalm 31:3 says, “You are my rock and my fortress.” If we really believe that, then why would we ever fear? We serve an awesome God who wants nothing but the best for His children. We mess that up when we start to chase after our own desires and start trying to do things our way rather than staying grounded in what is best for us, and that is trusting God. What gifts and talents are you hiding away rather than sharing and multiplying? Making ourselves vulnerable in the sharing of our gifts may be scary to begin with, but time after time, Scripture reminds us that God is “a great rock of safety” who wants to celebrate with those who have been “good and faithful servants”.

February 6

Exodus 23:14 – 25:40, Matthew 24:29-51, Psalm 30:1-12, Proverbs 7:24-27



Pray: Newton’s Third Law states, “For every action, there is an equal opposite reaction.” While our readings today aren’t exactly physics (thank you Jesus!), they do talk about there being consequences (reactions) for our actions. As followers of Christ, we must be aware that our actions have consequences. The early believers had to learn that lesson as well as learn that living as someone who believed in God was going to take some getting used to. There were rules and expectations. Pray today that you will live up to the expectations that God has given us as followers of Christ.

Read: Today, we read of the institution of the covenant between God and His people, Israel as well as a warning from Christ Himself to remain vigilant because no one knows when Christ will return and the end of time as we know it will be over.  Moses comes to the end of his sharing of “all the teachings and regulations the Lord had given him”. In the very next breath, the Bible tells us that all of the leaders of Israel replied in unison, “We will do everything the Lord has told us to do.” This commitment to following God is what set the Israelites apart from all other people on the Earth. These were God’s chosen ones. The New Testament reading reminds us of what is in store for those who are faithful to the covenant made by the Israelite leaders, when Jesus says, “If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward.” Oh that we may be those faithful servants awaiting the return of the Master. 

Edify: There are many in our culture that are convinced that there will be no sort of consequences for living a life of selfishness and lust. As children of God, we must fight the temptation to fall prey to this lifestyle ourselves. The Israelites covenanted with God to follow His Word yet found themselves embroiled in situation after situation, time after time where they battled with the desires of the flesh versus the desires of God.  Jesus alluded to this battle talking about the people of Noah’s time having no clue what was about to happen to them until the floodwaters came and swallowed them up. Let us not be swallowed up by the temptations of this world. May we be ever-vigilant servants, managing God’s household here on Earth knowing that a greater reward awaits. 

Practice: For those who have yet to experience the forgiveness of Christ, Psalm 30 will be difficult to fully appreciate, but for those who have experienced the forgiveness that only Christ can offer, we read a psalm of deliverance and faithfulness. Today, make an effort to share this kind of love and forgiveness with others. May we lay our heads down tonight with a heart full of joy as we sing from the Psalm, “Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. His anger lasts for a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes in the morning!”

February 5

Exodus 21:22-23:13, Matthew 24:1-28, Psalm 29:1-11, Proverbs 7:6-23 



Pray: Lord, thank You for another day in which we can be reminded of Your glory. As the Psalm says “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.” You deserve all glory and honor Lord because You are perfect in all of Your ways. May our focus today be on You as we seek for You to direct our steps.

Read: Exodus 21:22-25, the first verses in our reading today remind us that God makes it very clear that a child in a mother's womb is a life. And if you purposefully take that life according to the law, your life was also to be taken. This is justice to God. Just because the person is smaller or not fully developed had no bearing on the sinful act of taking the baby's life and the sentence was death. Let’s think long and hard on this one today. The last verse of our reading today reminds us to pay attention to everything the Lord has told us and to not even make mention of the names of other gods, they shouldn’t even be on our lips.

Edify: How do you feel about the world ending? In our New Testament reading today, Jesus gives us some signs of the end of the world. The most encouraging promise is that the one who endures to the end will be saved. The other exciting news is that the gospel of the kingdom must be proclaimed throughout the whole world and then the end will come. So if you want Jesus to come back sooner share the gospel. If you are fearful of the end of the world, trust in the salvation of the Lord and see Him coming as our great King at the end of the age.

Practice: In the reading from Psalm today, David reminds us of the power of the word of God. It had the power to create and the power to save. God’s word also has the power to keep us from sinning. In Proverbs we see the imagery of a man led away by a seductive woman. May we trust in the power of God’s words today to direct our steps aright. Too many men are led away by this seductive power when we should be led away to the truth of God’s word.