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.