February 13

Exodus 35:10-36:38, Matthew 27:32-66, Psalm 34:1-10, Proverbs 9:7-8 



Pray: Some brought cloth. Some brought wood. All brought something to honor the Lord in the building of His Tabernacle. What do you bring to God’s Church to honor Him? Be certain of this, you have gifts, you have talents…God has placed a dream inside you. God has a plan for you. Pray to the God in whose image you are created. Ask Him to reveal to you what He would like you to bring to help build His Church.

Read: Today’s Old Testament reading may seem odd and even insignificant to you at first. Stay with it. Don’t get burdened by the specifics, but see what is taking place. The people of God…ALL OF THEM…are practicing obedience and unity by bringing their gifts and talents together to honor God. In a culture where women were not seen as valuable as men, we are told “Both men and women came.” No matter what you’ve been told, no matter what you may FEEL, in the eyes of the Lord, you have value!

Edify: What do you do when things go bad? When life is difficult or even tragic, what is your response? As He hung on the cross in excruciating pain, listening to the insults, He cries out to God, asking a question that identifies how most people have felt at one point or another: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” At first glance, it seems as if God has suddenly become an absentee parent…He's abandoned His Son. In reality, Jesus does something remarkable here. In the middle of pain and agony most of us could never imagine, Jesus quotes Scripture! He goes back to Psalm 22 and recites those very words. Do you have any Scripture memorized? Start today! Difficult times lie ahead…of that we can be sure…it’s just life. Wouldn't you like to be reliant upon God's Word when those difficult times come? Jesus did, and so should we.

Practice: The Psalms offer us a glimpse into the full range of human emotion. Perhaps that is why many have a love/hate relationship with them. There are ones that we really like and can often quote. Then, there are others we would rather just gloss over. One thing that is undeniable about the Psalms, though, they’re honest. Today’s Psalm is a challenge for me, and perhaps for you, too. “I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praises.” All times? Constantly? When is the last time you spoke a praise of God to someone else? When is the last time you simply praised Him for His greatness? David reminds us here to be constant in our praise. It's a challenge, to be sure, but one we ought to embrace.