Devotionals

Love should be the atmosphere of the whole world since heaven and earth was created by God who is perfect Love. Yet, love without boundaries and obedience is not based on the Truth [Jesus]. Believers cannot proclaim and teach about genuine love without staying within the boundaries of God’s authority. Otherwise, it is neither genuine love or truth—it is a false gospel.

The gospel of Christ is both Truth and Love (John 14:6). Therefore, love without the boundary of Truth is not the salvation Jesus came to offer humanity. Jesus clearly stated, “If you love me, obey my commandments [divine instructions]” (John 14:15). God’s commandments [boundaries for love] have been given so we have guiding principles for how God created us to live and worship; a way that pleases God.

In our passage today from the elder John, the apostle writes to “the chosen lady and to her children” (2 John 2). Now, there have been obvious debates throughout the centuries as to whether this is a lady leading a church or simply a way to refer to a church itself. Personally, this whole debate that has been a focus for theologians reminds me of straining at gnats and swallowing camels. So, I’ll not enter into it.

The point of this passage from John is clear—there is an enemy of the Truth and we must be careful not to allow any falsehood into our spiritual family, because it would encourage an alignment with evil and heresy no matter how much love and acceptance we demonstrate. It opens a very wrong door instead of entering into a relationship with God through “The Door” of obedience (John 10:9a).

Today, we celebrate our veterans. Our freedom, in America, is so precious and our military heroes continue to protect every person’s liberty to speak the Truth in Love. Our veterans, as well as our present military servants are indispensable for us to live with liberty [ability to love] and justice [speak truth] under God’s authority. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Even though this is the gospel, not everyone will speak Truth and not everyone will love. But, God’s children—the heirs of Christ—know the blessing of the gospel and seek to stay in the boundaries given for Truth AND Love.

2 John NLT Greetings
1 This letter is from John, the elder.
I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I love in the truth—as does everyone else who knows the truth— 2 because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever.

3 Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.

Live in the Truth
4 How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded.

5 I am writing to remind you, dear friends[lady], that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. 6 Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.

7 I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we [you] have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. 9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.

10 If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. 11 Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work.

Conclusion
12 I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to do it with paper and ink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joy will be complete.
13 Greetings from the children of your sister, chosen by God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for placing in your Word the boundaries of life in your Love. Help us to remember that love without truth does not lead one toward eternal life and salvation. We long to live in the genuine gospel of peace and blessing. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Bible speaks of salvation in terms of the past, present, and future and it is all completely God’s doing. We cannot do anything to save ourselves or earn salvation. The Old Testament prophets brought God’s Word to His people to help them understand salvation was not just something he would do, but of Someone he would send in the future. To be saved is to be rescued from God’s judgment and Jesus is the Savior.

In our passage today, the psalmist is filled with praise as he anticipates the coming of the Lord to judge and rule the world. The Bible makes it clear there will be a day of judgment. The God who gave the Law is the Judge who has the power to cast a righteous verdict.

This psalm celebrates the Lord’s kingship. God’s people sing in celebration at the coming of the righteous King. The Lord displays his righteous rule to all the nations throughout the earth which will culminate in a worldwide kingdom of justice. No one knows when the coming of the Lord will be; therefore, we must stay focused, endure, and wait patiently for Christ’s return.

Psalm 98: 1-9 NLT A psalm.
1 
Sing a new song to the Lord,
    for he has done wonderful deeds.
His right hand has won a mighty victory;
    his holy arm has shown his saving power!
2 
The Lord has announced his victory
    and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!
3 
He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.
    The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 
Shout to the Lord, all the earth;
    break out in praise and sing for joy!
5 
Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp,
    with the harp and melodious song,
6 
with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn.
    Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!
7 
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
    Let the earth and all living things join in.
8 
Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!
    Let the hills sing out their songs of joy
9 
before the Lord,
    for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
    and the nations with fairness.

Prayer: Lord, we love and celebrate you. We know you are merciful, loving, and perfectly just. We also know you cannot overlook sin. Thank you for your promise to rescue and save us. We look for your return. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hypocrisy involves deception of a person’s character; he or she projects a false image. When a person is a hypocrite, their actions do not line up with what they profess to believe. There is a measure of dishonestly involved. A hypocrite pretends by going through the motions, but they are hiding something in order to appear virtuous. Hypocrisy cannot remain hidden for long; it is ultimately exposed by the Truth which in turn breaks trust.

During our Bible study Wednesday evening, we read an almost verbatim passage as our lesson from Luke, today (Matthew 21:23-27). The religious leaders question Jesus’ authority, but they are looking for outward qualifications rather than acknowledging the true authority of God when they hear it. The Pharisees set themselves up as spiritual authority figures, but the power flowing through Jesus to do miracle after miracle is diminishing the people’s perception of these leaders’ power. Can’t have that happen. So, instead of being excited about Jesus and his power to grow the Kingdom of God, they resent him and think of ways to “get rid” of Jesus—the Truth.

Hypocrites can be found in every environment: Government, church, work, social circles, relationships, etc.The Bible calls hypocrisy a sin; it damages a person’s spiritual life with God. Believers are to be authentic. One of the saddest parts of hypocrisy is it causes people to neglect what matters most in life—living the Truth. Yet, some people only want the Truth if it supports their own views and causes.

Luke 20:1-8 NLT The Authority of Jesus Challenged
1 One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. 2 They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”
3 “Let me ask you a question first,” he replied. 4 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

5 They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. 6 But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.” 7 So they finally replied that they didn’t know.
8 And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the power of your Word and for sharing your authority with believers. May we be willing to stand for the Truth even when encountering hypocrites. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Praise is a wonderful gift from the Lord.  Isn’t it interesting that praise is imparted to us and when we choose to release it back to God, it exalts our King, fills us with joy, all while giving us a higher perspective of Truth.  Praise is like a gift that has no end, because God just keeps filling us with the bounty of heaven and the depths of his riches in Christ as we release our trust through praise.  Choosing praise is a great way to fill your day!

In our passage today, David is filled with praise; not because his circumstances are easy, but because he has chosen to exalt the Lord and call for divine help.  David knows God loves him and is there to protect, rescue, and provide for him.  David also knows to reject God is to experience self-destruction—we taste and experience the consequences of our own unbelief.  

Human beings who do not accept Jesus [believe he is the Savior] will never be able to save themselves from the judgment God has put into place; they will experience the work of their rejection of him. Who then will save them? The government?  Sadly, it is rapidly losing power because it is a house divided and infiltrated with unbelief.  I pray for our country to return to God (2 Chr 7:14).  There is only One God and we must choose to honor his authority and exalt HIM.

For this reason, we are called and assigned to live in Christ who helps us receive divine wisdom, understanding of the divine nature, the divine renewal of our minds, positions us as worshipers of the divine, because God’s ways are beyond human abilities.  No human skill, no strategic rhetoric, no demanding our way will change the need for humans to bow humbly and praise the LORD! 

Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 NLT  A psalm of praise of David 

1 

I will exalt you, my God and King,
    and praise your name forever and ever.

2 

I will praise you every day;
    yes, I will praise you forever.

3 

Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
    No one can measure his greatness.

4 

Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;
    let them proclaim your power.

5 

I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
    and your wonderful miracles.

17 

The Lord is righteous in everything he does;
    he is filled with kindness.

18 

The Lord is close to all who call on him,
    yes, to all who call on him in truth.

19 

He grants the desires of those who fear him;
    he hears their cries for help and rescues them.

20 

The Lord protects all those who love him,
    but he destroys the wicked.

21 

I will praise the Lord,
    and may everyone on earth bless his holy name
    forever and ever.

Prayer:  We exalt and praise you, Lord, with our whole being.  You are faithful and your greatness is all we need.  Fill us today with praise, so the joy of our salvation erupts like a fountain.  No matter what we face, we do not face it alone.  Thank you for rescuing us from our destructive ways and patterns of living; we surrender to your righteous ways.  We cry out to you and know you hear and will answer.  You want to save us and help us produce righteousness in this life.  Holy Spirit, plant our feet in the Truth, today. We praise your holy name!  In Jesus’ name  Amen.

Today, accountability and encouragement for a high work ethic is very different than when I first entered the workforce.  I remember going to my first job and thinking, “I hope I can measure up and do my part to make this business successful.”  I was nervous because I wanted to do well.   To be a part of a whole or team was exciting for me.  I worked hard to go above and beyond what was expected, because I was grateful for each job and the task I was given. It felt good when my employers affirmed my performance. Sometimes my supervisors were tough to please, but I pressed in to do my best.

Scripture affirms this level of work ethic for God’s sons and daughters.  The Apostle Paul teaches Christ’s followers, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Col 3:23).  As believers, we should have the highest work ethic in the world, because we already know we have been placed on earth to bring God glory. He gave us gifts and abilities and we are to use them to bring honor to his name. We have the ability to glorify God with every task done in excellence.  He will reward us.

In our Luken passage today, Jesus shares a parable about having a high work ethic and how essential it is to pleasing the Father.  Jesus has been telling his disciples he will be going away for a while, but they are to remain faithful and productive with every task.  Every encounter and every job has the ability to reveal holiness even in the diligence of our work.  In this way, we can expand and grow God’s Kingdom while we wait for the Lord’s return.  Jesus will hold his children accountable for how we used his gifts and grace resources.

We must:

• Make the growth of God’s Kingdom a priority
• Use wisely our time and resources to promote Kingdom growth
• Understand the riches of his grace God has entrusted to us
• Work in a way that glorifies God

Luke 19:11-27 NLT Parable of the Ten Servants

11 The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away. 12 He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. 13 Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ 14 But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’

15 “After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. 16 The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’

17 “‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’

18 “The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’

19 “‘Well done!’ the king said. ‘You will be governor over five cities.’

20 “But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. 21 I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’

22 “‘You wicked servant!’ the king roared. ‘Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant, 23 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

24 “Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’

25 “‘But, master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten pounds!’

26 “‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 27 And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king—bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.’”

Prayer:  Lord, help us to be good stewards of the talents, gifts, and resources you have given us.  We want to use them wisely to grow and expand your Kingdom.  You are trustworthy and we know you will position us where we need to be and cause us to be successful for the advancement of your Kingdom on earth. Help us to look at every task or job, today, as an opportunity to please you and bring you glory. When our motives are pure, our success is sure. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Years ago, before a GPS or smart phone, I received a call from my brother that his car had broken down in an area with which he was unfamiliar. He found a way to call me, but he could only provide me the general vicinity of his location. It was late at night, the area was dark, and I remember driving through this strange location and praying, “Lord, just steer this car in the right direction, because I have no idea where I am going!” Through my tears and feelings of helplessness, I just kept inching forward. Suddenly, as I looked up, I saw my brother standing in the car’s headlights. God understood my situation, heard my confident cries for help, and rescued me from fear and my own limitations.

In our passage today, David is hiding in a cave from uncertain danger and he cries out to God for help. Sure he is frightened, his thoughts are troubled, and he has no idea how to deal with the problem and danger he faces, but he places his confident trust in God through a humble prayer. David does not place his trust in anyone but God to rescue him. He knows God sees the path he is on and can help him navigate safely forward. This cave—prayer closet—made a great place for David to grow in his trust of the Almighty.

God knows our paths; all of our journeys are before him each day. We, too, can place our troubled thoughts before God in prayer. This is a great blessing and opportunity, because it is on our knees that we learn the most from the Lord. If you have been feeling overwhelmed by life, please find your “cave” and get quiet before the Lord, because he is your only true Refuge and in him each of us find perfect love and relief.

Psalm 142:1-3a NLT A Psalm of David
1
I cry out to the Lord;
    I plead for the Lord’s mercy.
2 
I pour out my complaints [troubled thoughts] before him
    and tell him all my troubles.
3 
When I am overwhelmed,
    you alone know the way I should turn.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for always being there listening and guiding us. Many places in this world and many experiences in which we may find ourselves can bring an unsettling to our minds, wills, and emotions. Help us remember to humbly get on our knees, pray, and look for your help and salvation. We commit to holding nothing back from you, because we know you love us and want to help in our times of need. We love you, Lord, and with thanksgiving we place our needs before you, today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Although God does not cause the suffering of believers, he does allow us to face some challenges in this fallen world in order to grow us in his righteousness. Christ suffered and in Christ’s love we will endure a measure of our own difficulties and persecution. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:18-19). Our ability to persevere in spite of suffering is the evidence of our faith, love, and hope in God. In the midst of our suffering, will others in this world see Jesus in us?

In our passage today, the Apostle Paul is exhorting the church in Thessalonica and commending them for their spiritual growth in the midst of the challenges they have been facing. He wants them to know they did not accomplish this growth in their own strength. Instead, Paul encourages God’s people to be filled with a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving, because the power of God had accomplished this growth in them by grace alone.

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 NLT Greetings from Paul
1 This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy. We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Encouragement during Persecution
3 Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. 4 We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.

11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Father, thank you for helping us grow in faith and love. We know you love us no matter what difficulties life may bring. So, we come boldly to your throne of grace, ask for mercy, and reach for your strength to press on. May we honor your name today, Lord, in all we say and do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Although I do not take daily prescription medications, I do take dietary supplements. I try to eat a healthy diet and gain as much benefit as I can from food. However, as I get older, I believe I need additional nutrients [vitamins and minerals] to make up for any deficiency. Eating and living in a healthy way helps me serve Jesus.

In our passage today, Peter teaches us about biblical supplements to keep us spiritually strong and healthy. Biblical supplements are provided by God to add virtue and maturity to our faith. Here is a list of supplements to keep our faith healthy and God-centered:

Moral Excellence: Conforming to Christ’s righteousness—inward conviction leading to a change in our outward actions
Knowledge: Experientially and relationally knowing and obeying God—humbly entering God’s saving actions
Self-Control: Soul [mind/will/emotions] aligns with Truth—taking authority over our emotions, impulses, and actions that are contrary to God’s standards
Patient Endurance: Remaining faithful by depending on God—trusting God’s plan and promise despite hardship or suffering
Godliness: Devotion to God, his character, and his will—transforming work of the Holy Spirit
Brotherly Affection: Honoring relationships and selfless love within the spiritual family—forming deep bonds that lead to a willingness to serve others through selfless actions, forgiveness, and a commitment to unity.
Love: Unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial concern for the well-being of others transcending mere emotion—rejoicing that comes from living the Truth!

May we all take our biblical supplements today and grow in our faith. Blessings!

2 Peter 1:1-11 NLT Greetings from Peter
1 This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.
I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness [righteousness] of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.
2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

Growing in Faith
3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your divine empowerment to receive and live the Truth of Christ’s righteousness. We lack what it takes; but, you make us new as we allow the Spirit to work in our behalf. We are being made holy by your Spirit. So, we thank you for this list of supplements and we ask for you, Holy Spirit, to help us grow in each area so we continue toward spiritual maturity of the faith. Make us strong, Lord. In Jesus’ name.

Although I know they bring balance to the ecosystem, I am definitely NOT a snake person. If I never saw another one in my lifetime, I would be thrilled. It isn’t a fear thing; it is a symbolic image that has been planted in my mind by the Word of God. Granted, God made the serpent (Gen. 3:1), but in my soul [mind/will/emotions] the snake reminds me to stay far away from sin. In this way, the snake is a helpful mnemonic—an image that aids my memory about betrayal and the deadly effects of sin in my life.

Regardless of the power of this mnemonic, I will need God’s forgiveness again. So, if I look deeper, a snake also reminds me of God’s love and forgiveness that he has put into place since the beginning of time. He writes the story, so humanity knows the sin and the Cure. Jesus is the Healer for the snakebite of sin. Yet, how much better if we learn through obedience to run from sin in the first place.

Sin is like a poisonous snake when it bites, it leaves behind the venom of guilt and shame. Sometimes, we struggle to get away from the affects of sin regardless of whether it is our own or the sin someone else commits against us. Trying to live with unconfessed sin is tormenting to the soul and destructive to relationships.

We learn, from our passage today, David had been carrying around the venom of guilt and shame. As well, because of divine love, God’s hand of disciple had been putting pressure on David to repent and turn toward healing. God wanted to heal David sooner rather than later in order to spare him further torment. David’s sin and rebellion against God’s standards, left him dealing with the venom of betrayal, adultery, murder, guilt, and shame. He could not be himself while carrying this heavy load. God wanted to bring forgiveness, but David had to become weary from carrying it (Mat. 11:28-29).

David wrote this psalm to remind all of God’s children that forgiveness leaves a soul fresh and fill with joy. What a wonderful exchange God offers the humble. He takes our sin and leaves us with the substance of his righteous Kingdom.

Psalm 32:1-7 NLT A psalm of David.
1 
Oh, what joy for those
    whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sin is put out of sight!
2 
Yes, what joy for those
    whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,[b]
    whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 
When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
4 
Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
    My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude
5 
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude
6 
Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
    that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 
For you are my hiding place;
    you protect me from trouble.
    You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the ability to be cleansed by your grace. You take all that is sinful and destructive and you leave us with a supernatural healing and joy. Today, we confess our sin of delay; we have been slow in giving you the things that are polluting our souls. These may be things like grief, sorrow, regret, denial, shame, guilt, greed, anger, etc., or the practice of what your Word identifies as sin. Help us turn toward you, Lord, because you hold the gift of forgiveness that leads to the righteous abundant life. We need to release what is not of you in order to receive the joy of our salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I am the youngest of three children and the only girl. My brothers are four and eight years older. I saw them as trailblazers when it came to obedience and interaction with my parents. I watched them carefully and how they responded to my parent’s authority. Like me, sometimes it was evident they chose wisely and sometimes they did not.

In our passage today, we meet two brothers and how they handle the request of their father to go work in the vineyard. Both brothers struggle with obedience. The older brother is all mouth and no action; he never does what he agrees to do. In Jesus’ parable, this brother represented the nation of Israel and how they refused to follow the will of God unless it aligned with their own agenda. The younger brother is rebellious upfront, but then repents and does as his father requests. This brother represents the repentant heart that turns to do the will of God. In his parable, Jesus shares the point that the younger brother will gain entrance to the Kingdom of God before the older brother.

As followers of Jesus, we need to be quick to repent, quick to ask for forgiveness, and quick to obey the will of God. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit and the way in is humble obedience to the authority of God.

Matthew 21:28-32 NLT Parable of the Two Sons
28 “But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.

31 “Which of the two obeyed his father?”

They replied, “The first.”
Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.

Prayer: Lord, some days it is very easy to become preoccupied with self; to dwell in our minds. Life isn’t fair and our emotions can quickly gain the upper hand. Turning inward and living for our own agenda may be our inclination, but turning upward is where we gain wisdom. We need to remember our place is to humbly live for your will not ours. Thank you for loving us on this journey of life. You are faithful and true and we need you! In Jesus’ name. Amen.