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?