Read Mark 12:38-44

 

Thursday

Read Mark 12:38-44

38 As he taught them, he said, “Watch out for the teachers of the Law, who like to walk around in their long robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplace, 39 who choose the reserved seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts. 40 They take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes, and then make a show of saying long prayers. Their punishment will be all the worse!”

41 As Jesus sat near the Temple treasury, he watched the people as they dropped in their money. Many rich men dropped in a lot of money; 42 then a poor widow came along and dropped in two little copper coins, worth about a penny. 43 He called his disciples together and said to them, “I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others. 44 For the others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had—she gave all she had to live on.”

Think 

In Mark 12:30 Jesus reiterates the command to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength'.  As the disciples watch the poor widow put in her last coins they see her love in action.  In that moment they are able to see her as greater than all the scribes, pharisees and religious show-offs.

Pray

Teach me to love and trust you with all the passion and dedication of that widow who gives her last two coins.

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Read Hebrews 9:24-28

 

Wednesday

Read Hebrews 9:24-28

24 For Christ did not go into a Holy Place made by human hands, which was a copy of the real one. He went into heaven itself, where he now appears on our behalf in the presence of God. 25 The Jewish high priest goes into the Most Holy Place every year with the blood of an animal. But Christ did not go in to offer himself many times, 26 for then he would have had to suffer many times ever since the creation of the world. Instead, now when all ages of time are nearing the end, he has appeared once and for all, to remove sin through the sacrifice of himself. 27 Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God. 28 In the same manner Christ also was offered in sacrifice once to take away the sins of many. He will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are waiting for him.

Think 

"He went into heaven itself, where he now appears on our behalf in the presence of God." - Verse 24
The letter to the Hebrews points to the earthly temple as a shadow of the real and heavenly temple.  As Jesus action as high priest and sacrifice is described the emphasis is on the eternal significance of what Jesus has done.

Pray

Lord Jesus you represent me before the father - I put my trust in you.

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Read 1 Kings 17:8-16

 

Tuesday

Read 1 Kings 17:8-16

8 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 9 “Now go to the town of Zarephath, near Sidon, and stay there. I have commanded a widow who lives there to feed you.” 10 So Elijah went to Zarephath, and as he came to the town gate, he saw a widow gathering firewood. “Please bring me a drink of water,” he said to her. 11 And as she was going to get it, he called out, “And please bring me some bread, too.”

12 She answered, “By the living Lord your God I swear that I don't have any bread. All I have is a handful of flour in a bowl and a bit of olive oil in a jar. I came here to gather some firewood to take back home and prepare what little I have for my son and me. That will be our last meal, and then we will starve to death.”

13 “Don't worry,” Elijah said to her. “Go on and prepare your meal. But first make a small loaf from what you have and bring it to me, and then prepare the rest for you and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The bowl will not run out of flour or the jar run out of oil before the day that I, the Lord, send rain.’”

15 The widow went and did as Elijah had told her, and all of them had enough food for many days. 16 As the Lord had promised through Elijah, the bowl did not run out of flour nor did the jar run out of oil.

Think 

The fact that you are reading this today means that somehow 'your bowl has not run out of flour' and your 'jar has not run out of oil'.  You have had what you needed to bring you to today.

Pray

Lord you have provided.  Like the widow at Zarephath teach me to share from your provision.

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Read Psalm 146

 

Monday

Read Psalm 146

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

3 Do not put your trust in princes,
    in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
    on that very day their plans perish.

5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
7     who executes justice for the oppressed;
    who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8     the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the strangers;
    he upholds the orphan and the widow,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

10 The Lord will reign forever,
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!

Think 

When life gets difficult all that we can do is put our trust in God.  It is not that easy to do.  But the Psalmist keeps reminding us:  "Happy are those... whose hope is in the Lord their God."

Pray

You made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them.  You lift up those who are bowed down; you watch over strangers, uphold orphans and widows.  Lord I put my trust in you today.

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Read Mark 12:28-34

 

Thursday

Read Mark 12:28-34

12:28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?"

12:29 Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;

12:30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'

12:31 The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

12:32 Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that 'he is one, and besides him there is no other';

12:33 and 'to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,' and 'to love one's neighbor as oneself,' --this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

12:34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him any question.

Think 

In verse 33 the scribe agrees with Jesus about the importance of loving God with heart, understanding and strength.  The importance of this love is greater than sacrifices, offerings and religious 'right'ness.

Pray

Lord help me to walk in your way because I love you, not because I 'should'.

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Read Hebrews 9:11-14

 

Wednesday

Read Hebrews 9:11-14

9:11 But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation),

9:12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.

9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified,

9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!

Think 

The scriptures of Monday and Tuesday ask for help in being obedient to the laws that God has given.  Our selfishness prevents us from loving as we should.  Today's scripture presents the solution and answer to our prayers.  Jesus as the great high priest in offering his sacrifice purify's the conscience resulting in a total change.

Pray

Lord I have prayed for help in keeping your laws and loving you as I should.  Today I put my trust in the promise that you Jesus died on the cross and rose again to purify my conscience.  I can be changed from the inside out because of your love revealed for me on the cross.

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Read Deuteronomy 6:1-9

 

Tuesday

Read Deuteronomy 6:1-9

6:1 Now this is the commandment--the statutes and the ordinances--that the LORD your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy,

6:2 so that you and your children and your children's children, may fear the LORD your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long.

6:3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.

6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.

6:5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

6:6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.

6:7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.

6:8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead,

6:9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Think 

When Jesus is asked what the most important commandment is his answer is a combination of Deuteronomy 6:5 and the second part of Leviticus 19:18 - "love your neighbour as yourself."  These two commandments observed should lead to a happy life in the promised land.

Pray

Lord you give your law to give me peace.  Teach me to live in your law of love as I love you with all my heart, soul and might and learn to love me neighbours as I love myself.

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