January 18   Genesis 34-35:15 Psalm 11:1-3 Proverbs 3:1-2 Matthew 12:1-21 The Sabbath   “When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, ‘Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.’  But He said to them, ‘……But I say to you that something greater than the Temple is here.  But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire compassion and not a sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.’”  Matthew 12:2,6-8

January 17   Genesis 32-33 Psalm 10:12-18 Proverbs 2:20-22 Matthew 11:20-30 Wrestling With God   “Then Jacob was left alone, and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of dawn…Then He said, ‘Let Me go, for the dawn is breaking.’  But he said, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me.’”  Genesis 32:24, 26 LSB   Jacob, with his mother’s help, cheated his twin brother, Esau, out of his birthright.  Esau threatened to kill Jacob so Rebekah sent him away to her brother, Laba

January 16   Genesis 31 Psalm 10:1-11 Proverbs 2:16-19 Matthew 11:1-19 Free To Ask   “Now when John in prison heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for someone else?’”   Matthew 11:2-3 LSB   John knew Jesus was the Messiah.  Just a few short weeks or months before John’s imprisonment he had baptized Jesus.  At that time, John said to Jesus, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You c

January 15   Genesis 29-30 Psalm 9:13-20 Proverbs 2:11-15 Matthew 10:21-42 Confess Or Deny   “Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in Heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny before My Father in Heaven.”  Matthew 10:32-33 LSB   This is a terrifying verse of Scripture and one that we should take seriously.  Throughout my lifetime I have not been put in situations where I felt it was dangerous to con

January 14   Genesis 27-28 Psalm 9:7-12 Proverbs 2:9-10 Matthew 10:1-20 When We Practice To Deceive   “But Rebekah spoke to her son Jacob, saying, ‘Behold, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau, saying, ‘Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat and  bless you in the presence of Yahweh before my death.’  So now, my son, listen to  my voice as I command you. ‘Go now to the flock and get for me two choice young goats from there, that I may

January 13   Genesis 25-26 Psalm 9:1-6 Proverbs 2:6-8 Matthew 9:18-38    The Harvest Is Plentiful   “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.’”  Matthew 9:37-38 LSB   When Jesus ascended into Heaven after His resurrection He gave specific instructions to His followers. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name

January 12   Genesis 23-24 Psalm 8 Proverbs 2:1-5 Matthew 9:1-17 Mindful Of Us   “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?  Yet You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands, You have put all things under his feet.”  Psalm 8:4-6 ESV   David recognized the majesty and splendor of God.  He understood that God is the Creator and Su

January 11   Genesis 21-22 Psalm 7:9-17 Proverbs 1:32-33 Matthew 8:18-34 Faithful To His Promise   “Now Yahweh visited Sarah as He had said, and Yahweh did for Sarah as He had promised.  So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age at the appointed time of which God had spoken to them.”  Genesis 21:1-2  LSB   God is always faithful to keep His promises.  For Abraham and Sarah it was many years between the time God told Abraham that he was going to be the father

January 10   Genesis 19-20 Psalm 7:1-8 Proverbs 1:28-31 Matthew 8:1-17 Looking Back   “Then his wife, from behind him,  looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”  Genesis 19:26 LSB   When Abraham and Lot separated, Lot went to Sodom and settled down.  He lived in this evil town and had grown comfortable there.  He and his wife built a life there along with their two daughters who had met young men and were pledged to be married.  Lot was aware of the evil around him, but

January 9   Genesis 17-18 Psalm 6:6-10 Proverbs 1:24-27 Matthew 7 Bold And Persistent   “Then he said, ‘Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?’ And He said, ‘I will not destroy it on account of the ten.’”  Genesis 18:32 LSB   Abraham was not afraid to approach God in intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah.  The Lord revealed to him that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sin and the evil of their ways

January 8   Genesis 15-16 Psalm 6:1-5 Proverbs 1:20-23 Matthew 6:19-34 Do Not Worry   “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Matthew 6:33-34 NIV   It seems irresponsible not to worry about tomorrow.  It is drilled into our heads when we become adults that we need to plan ahead, prepare for a ra

January 7   Genesis 13-14 Psalm 5:7-12 Proverbs 1:17-19 Matthew 6:1-18 The Importance Of Prayer   “Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen.”  Matthew 6:9-13 KJV   There is a saying we often

January 6   Genesis 11-12 Psalm 5:1-6 Proverbs 1:15-16 Matthew 5:27-47 A Name For Ourselves   “And they said, ‘Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into Heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; lest we be scattered over the face of the whole Earth.”  Genesis 11:4 LSB   Since the beginning of time, Satan has appealed to man’s desire for importance.  He enticed Eve with the idea of being “like God, knowing good from evil.”  In this pass

January 5   Genesis 9-10 Psalm 4 Proverbs 1:10-14 Matthew 5:1-26 Blessed   “ Blessed are the poor in spirit…blessed are those who mourn…blessed are the lowly…blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…blessed are the merciful….blessed are the pure in heart…blessed are the peacemakers….blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness…blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because o

January 4 Genesis 7-8 Psalm 3 Proverbs 1:8-9 Matthew 4 God Is Our Help   “Then God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the Earth, and the water subsided.”  Genesis 8:1 LSB   “But You, O Yahweh, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.  I was calling to Yahweh with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain.”  Psalm 3:3-4 LSB   Noah had just experienced the most

January 3   Genesis 5-6 Psalm 2:7-12 Proverbs 1:7 Matthew 3 The Fear Of The Lord   “The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; Ignorant fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7  LSB   Most people associate fear with negative connotations.  This is often accurate, but fear can also be a good thing.  Fear is the thing that keeps us from picking up a snake we see in the yard or from reaching into a cage at the zoo to pet a lion.  Fear is the thing that keeps us

January 2   Genesis 3-4 Psalm 2:1-6 Proverbs 1:5-6 Matthew 2 Father Of Lies   “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which Yahweh God had made.  And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’  And the woman said to the serpent, ‘From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God said, ‘You shall not eat from it, and you shall not

January 1   Genesis 1-2 Psalm 1 Proverbs 1:1-4 Matthew 1 God With Us   “’Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’”  Matthew 1:23 LSB   “God with us.”  That simple, three-word phrase is the gospel in a nutshell.  That is the thing that makes Christianity different from all the other world religions.  It is the thing that makes the Christian life possible.  The Creator and Lord of

December 31   Malachi 3-4 Psalms 150 Proverbs 31:28-31 Revelation 22 The Wife of Noble Character   “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.  She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.  Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”  Proverbs 31:25, 26, 30 NIV   The end of one year and the beginning of the next is an excellent time to examine our lives and ask God to sho

December 30   Malachi 1-2 Psalm 149 Proverbs 31:24-27 Revelation 21 Eternity   “Then I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth, for the first Heaven and the first Earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them.  They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be n