Malachi 2:1-9

Malachi delivered a hard message to the priests of Israel. Many years earlier the Lord had chosen the descendants of Levi to have charge of the temple service and to instruct the people. This sacred duty was an honor—it should have caused them to stand in awe of the Lord and serve Him with fear and reverence. But in Malachi’s day the priests had dishonored Him with their attitudes and actions.

At first glance, it may seem that this Old Testament passage has nothing to do with us, but as believers in Christ, we are a holy priesthood who offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God (1 Peter 2:5). This truth should cause us to pause and consider whether we are fulfilling this sacred duty with the right attitudes and actions. The failures of the priests in Malachi 2 warn us of attitudes that will lead us down the path of irreverence and disobedience.

• First, the priests dishonored God’s name by serving Him in a careless manner and offering unacceptable sacrifices. (See Mal. 2:1-3.)
• Second, they were ungrateful for God’s covenant, which gave them close access to Him through their priestly service. (See Mal. 2:4-6.)
• Third, they didn’t preserve knowledge of God’s Word but led people astray with their instructions. (See Mal. 2:7-9.)

Since we are now God’s holy priesthood, we must ask ourselves if we have dishonored His name with careless worship, ingratitude, or a failure to uphold His truth as revealed in Scripture. Salvation is a marvelous blessing, but it comes with responsibilities. Our worship and service are acceptable only if they are offered according to God’s desires and standards—not ours.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 14-16

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Psalm 62:5-8

Maybe there’s not enough money in the bank to cover that bill. Or a loved one died. Or your family is facing hard times. In difficult or painful circumstances, many believers turn to the Bible in search of comfort and guidance. Within its pages, we find assurance that encourages us through every season of life: “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).

God truly is faithful. In other words, we can count on Him to be and do exactly what He says. For instance, the Bible assures us that the Lord is trustworthy, loving, and incapable of failure (Psalm 37:5; Rom. 5:8; Josh. 1:5). Out of deep love for us, He’ll use any aspect of His multifaceted nature to provide exactly what He knows we need. He’s our Savior, Comforter, and Discipliner, who safely guides us through life’s changes and challenges.

No matter what hardships we face, we can trust God because He knows all things. He’s aware of the duration and intensity of our current season and uses His knowledge to offer us the best possible help and support. What’s more, the Lord is all-powerful, which means He is more than adequate to meet needs and change circumstances according to His plan. And our Father is everywhere, including right beside us in whatever we face. He promises, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5).

Difficulties may cause us to question God’s dependability. But if we’ll place our trust in our omniscient, omnipotent Father, we can begin each morning with a fresh sense of His faithfulness, which will carry us through the day.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 11-13

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Matthew 5:13

In today’s verse from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called His followers “the salt of the earth.” It was a way to describe how we as Christians are to influence the society around us. Who we are, what we say, and the things we do in the world can be compared to the role and effect of salt.

Salt flavors. Have you ever eaten a baked potato without salt? It probably tasted bland, didn’t it? Whenever salt is added to food, the taste is enhanced, and that’s how Christlike character, words, and actions can flavor our witness and open the door for people to hear our message.

Salt preserves. In biblical times, salt was used to preserve food so it wouldn’t spoil. In the same way, our lifestyles offer an alternative to the corrupting ways of the world and point people to Jesus for salvation.

Salt impacts what it touches. The chemical reactions caused by salt may be invisible, but the changes it brings are evident. We never know how a timely word, an act of kindness, or a stand for righteousness may affect someone.

Salt causes thirst. When those who don’t know Christ see how we handle suffering with calmness, endurance, and hope, they will thirst to know how we do it. Telling them of our reliance on God and His sufficiency could lead them to our Savior.

Do the people around you sense something special about you and thirst to know what it is? Becoming salt of the earth isn’t simply a matter of being good; it’s the work of the Holy Spirit. When His fruit is produced in us (Gal. 5:22-23), our life will bear the flavor of Christ.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 8-10

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Hebrews 12:4-13

Since difficulties and pain are a universal experience of mankind, we may not recognize when our particular trial is the result of divine discipline. In Job’s day, the common thinking was that all suffering was the result of sin, but today some Christians have swung so far away from this flawed teaching that they fail to consider whether their adversity might be related to waywardness.

When this happens to us, we usually just want to find a way out of the difficulty and move on, but in every painful situation, God is working to purify our life and make us righteous. He knows our weaknesses and sees when we compromise and fall into sin. So as a loving Father, He intervenes to bring us back into obedience and fellowship with Him.

Pain has a way of bringing to light sinful attitudes and practices, of which we were unaware. It drives us to our knees, and as we draw closer to the Lord, we see more of His holiness and recognize the ugliness of our sin.

What we do with this conviction of sin is of utmost importance. If we grumble and groan but refuse to repent and change, then we lengthen the trial, which intensifies the pain and sets us up for further discipline. This is not a sign of God’s disfavor; rather it shows His love for us. He knows a path of sin is unfitting for His children.

Let’s choose the better option of repentance and obedience. When we let our trials train us in holiness, we will reap “the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Heb. 12:11). And compliance with the will of our heavenly Father brings joy to His heart.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 6-7

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John 16:23-27

Are you confident that the Lord will hear and answer your prayers? One of the reasons we may struggle with doubts is because we don’t realize all that God has done to make it possible for us to bring our requests before Him.

Association. Our sin once separated us from God, but Christ gave His life on the cross as payment of the penalty we owed. At the moment of our salvation, we enter into an intimate association with God the Father through His Son.

Access. With our new relationship comes access to the throne of grace, where we can boldly and confidently bring our concerns to God.

Authority. In the Gospels, the Lord’s prayers always carried the power of His divine position. Now, because of our association with Him through salvation, Jesus Christ has given us the privilege of praying in His name according to His power and authority.

Agreement. But prayer offered in Jesus’ name should always be in agreement with what He would ask. In other words, our requests must align with the character of God and the content of His Word. It does no good to tack “in Jesus’ name” on a petition for something outside His will.

Assurance. When Jesus told His disciples He would answer requests offered in His name, He was saying that we can pray with assurance because of our association and agreement with Him.

When we’re uncertain whether our requests are in accordance with what Jesus would ask, we can take comfort in knowing that Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand, always interceding for us according to God’s will.

Bible in One Year: Numbers 3-5

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Genesis 3:1-6

Signs on the highway show us many different sorts of things. Speed limits. Animal crossings. How to find a rest stop or avoid a construction site. Similarly, all of creation is a sign communicating God’s message to us. He speaks to us through a full moon, waves crashing against rocks, or a vividly colored aspen tree. As we look upon the wonders of nature, something inside us resonates with the glory, power, love, and beauty of the Creator.

The Lord expresses His message in still another way that may initially be hard for us to comprehend as love: through the fall of man. You might wonder, If God loves us, then why would He let the first couple sin, spoiling the perfection they enjoyed in the garden and breaking the fellowship they had with Him?

The connection between God’s love and man’s sin is freedom. In giving Adam and Eve the option to obey or disobey, God demonstrated that He has not created us as robots, incapable of making choices. His love does not restrict our freedom to do right or wrong—even if that involves our saying “no” to the God who created us. However, having the freedom to choose means we will make mistakes and disobey the God who loves us.

But the wonderful news is that God expresses His love toward those who have rebelled against Him, through His gracious offer of salvation and forgiveness. Jesus Christ, who paid our sin debt on the cross, is the ultimate expression of divine love. Have you responded to His love by believing in Christ and receiving Him as your personal Savior?

Bible in One Year: Numbers 1-2

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Jeremiah 31:3

God’s love is totally different from ours. For one thing, His love is everlasting. He bestows it on us continuously, and there is absolutely nothing that can interrupt or interfere with it. This is because His love is not based on a feeling but flows from His very nature. Therefore, it is perfect, unchangeable, and trustworthy (1 John 4:8). In contrast, disagreements and other circumstances can cause human love to fluctuate or fail.

What’s more, God’s love is unconditional—there’s nothing we can say or do to either deserve or deter it. We never have to wonder if the Lord still loves us. Every day you and I walk under the canopy of His love, which remains unaffected by our behavior, whether good or bad. Even if we wander from His will or fall into disobedience, we don’t have to worry that the canopy will be removed. We did not build it, so we can’t dismantle it. The source of God’s love is God Himself, and His love is eternal, perfect, and without any conditions whatsoever.

Notice I did not say you would necessarily enjoy life because He loves you; nor did I say that God would overlook transgressions. Disobedience is a matter of grave consequence for the Christian. Yet even in our foolishness and sin, the Lord is our loving Father, who faithfully disciplines His children. We must always remember that sin does not affect God’s boundless love for us.

The heavenly Father has always loved you, and He always will. As you release any misconceptions about His everlasting love, you’ll be able to rejoice under His canopy.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 26-27

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Ephesians 6:21-24

What’s the most valuable item you’ve ever transported? We usually associate value with an expensive physical possession, but Tychicus brought something far more precious than gold from a Roman prison to the church in Ephesus. He carried God’s Word, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by the apostle Paul while he was imprisoned.

Tychicus is one of those behind-the-scenes people who worked with Paul. His home was originally in Asia Minor (Acts 20:4), and he is mentioned five times in the New Testament. In all but one of these passages, he is sent somewhere by Paul. Running errands may not seem like a glorious job, but his service for Christ was essential: He delivered Paul’s letters to the Ephesian and Colossian churches along with encouragement and information about the apostle’s circumstances (Col. 4:7-8).

These letters have been instructing, challenging, and encouraging Christians throughout the world ever since. And the job Tychicus had—to deliver Scripture—is a task still entrusted to believers today. God has given us His Word for our benefit but also so we can share it with others. It’s the only sure source of absolute truth because it came directly from God through men who were inspired by His Spirit.

The Bible is our most precious possession. We should treat it with care and share it with fellow believers as well as those who need to know our great God and Savior. The next time you open the Scriptures, ask the Lord to make you like Tychicus, a faithful messenger of His Word.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 24-25

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Matthew 6:31-34

Today’s passage contains one of the most amazing promises in all of Scripture. If we truly believed it and lived accordingly, our lives would be transformed, and worry would lose its grip on us. Yet if we keep seeking our security in the things the world values—bank accounts, stable jobs, and a strong national and global economy—we will be filled with anxiety at every fluctuation.

Instead, why not take God up on His guarantee in Matthew 6:33? Make Him your number one priority, seeking both His kingdom (His rule over you) and His righteousness (His transformation of you). What that means is obeying His instructions and submitting to whatever He uses to transform your character, whether it be hardship, suffering, or ease. What I’m talking about is not a sinless life but, rather, the desire to live in God’s will and become increasingly like Christ.

When we make a commitment toward that goal, the Lord promises to take full responsibility for providing whatever we need. Now, this doesn’t mean He will give us everything we ask for, but aren’t you grateful that He doesn’t? Just think back to some of the foolish things you’ve requested in the past. He alone knows what our true needs are.

God has a plan for each believer’s life, and the spiritual benefits of living in His will are amazing. But our loving Father doesn’t stop there—He promises to provide for our physical needs as well. So even though each day will have its own trouble (Matt. 6:34), you can rest in the faithfulness of the heavenly Father and trust Him to keep His Word.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 21-23

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Matthew 6:25-30

Stressful situations come in a variety of forms and intensities, and our earthly existence will never be completely free of them. However, the important question is, What are we going to do with our anxiety? If we let it dominate our thinking, fretfulness can become a way of life. But if we believe what the Bible says about the Lord and His care for us, then we will experience an awesome liberation from worry.

Do you sometimes doubt whether our heavenly Father really cares about the ordinary things that cause you anxiety? After all, He’s got the entire universe to run, and your issues seem so small in comparison. Consider how inconsequential birds and flowers are, yet Jesus says that the Father cares for them (Matt. 6:26). Don’t you think you are worth much more to Him than they are?

At times we let ourselves get all worked up and stressed out because we’re trying to change something that is beyond our control. Just as no one can add a single day to the length of his life, there are likewise many situations that we are powerless to alter. But the sovereign Ruler of the universe loves us and holds everything in His hands—including our stressful and seemingly out-of-control situations. Therefore, we have no reason to fret or fear.

Perhaps the biggest reason we worry is because we don’t trust the Lord. Anxiety can be a symptom of unbelief. The Bible is filled with God’s promises to provide, but so often we doubt that He will. If you can trust Him for your eternal security, can’t you also trust Him for your earthly needs?

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 18-20

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Philippians 2:3-8

There are no big shots in Christ’s kingdom. We are all on the same level at the cross and saved by the same grace and blood of Jesus. As we humbly admit our sinful, helpless condition and call on the Lord to save us, He forgives our sin and irrevocably adopts us into His family. And just as we humble ourselves to receive Christ’s salvation by faith, we must also serve Him with humility of mind.

Being a servant of Christ requires that we submit to His leadership, regarding what we’re to do, how we’re to carry out His will, and where He would have us serve. There is no room for self-seeking or self-promotion; our only concern should be obedience, with the aim that God alone gets the glory.

Sometimes we become preoccupied with finding our purpose in life so we can gain a sense of usefulness and self-fulfillment. Although we do benefit from serving the Lord according to the way He’s gifted and designed us, that should not be our motive. A humble spirit doesn’t look out for its own interests but instead thinks of others. This is the attitude Christ had. He willingly left heaven to take on human form in order to go to the cross—that was a selfless act of obedience to the Father so we could be saved.

Are you willing to serve the Lord in obscurity? What if no expressions of gratitude or praise come your way? Do you cheerfully do lowly tasks? It’s not always easy to evaluate our motives, but asking ourselves these questions will help us determine whether we’re truly serving in humility or seeking our own interests.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 14-17

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Colossians 3:22-25

Oftentimes we think serving the Lord is limited to something done in the church—such as working in the nursery, teaching Sunday school, or singing in the choir. But God’s view of service encompasses everything we do, wherever we are. No matter who is the object of our service, we are ultimately serving the Lord.

Today’s passage is addressed to slaves, but the principle it describes can also be applied to employees—as well as to every person and situation in our life. Knowing that we serve Christ will …

Affect the quality of our work. Although we may be tempted to give an employer half-hearted service and mediocre effort, none of us would do that to Christ. If we’ll keep Him foremost in our thoughts, we will become His faithful ambassadors by doing our best for those we serve.

Guard our attitude. Regardless of the way others treat us or the demands they make of us, working “heartily, as for the Lord” (Col. 3:23) melts away bitterness and purifies our motives. Then our goal will be to please Christ in all we do.

Prevent discouragement. If we’re seeking approval for our efforts, we’re going to be consistently disappointed when it doesn’t come. But since the Lord never overlooks our service, we can persevere, knowing He’s the one who will someday reward us.

When it comes to work, commitment to Christ must be our motivation rather than feelings. If we ask God to empower our efforts and watch over our attitude, grumbling will turn to joy, and our service will be pleasing to Him.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 11-13

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2 Corinthians 3:4-8

What do you think it means to serve the Lord? We know this is something commanded in the Bible, but at times we’re just not sure what to do. Often, we don’t think we are adequate for the task. Or perhaps we’re so busy with all our other duties and responsibilities that finding the time or energy to serve God seems impossible.

Instead of looking at ministry through the lens of obstacles blocking our path, let’s see what God says about it. True service is not something we do for the Lord, but something He does through us. This pattern was set for us by Jesus Christ Himself, who said, “The Father abiding in Me does His works” (John 14:10). The apostles’ lives also show this is what God had in mind. When Jesus gave them the command to be His witnesses, He said to wait until they were “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49)

By regarding service as God’s work through us, we can have confidence—not in ourselves and our abilities, but in God, who makes us adequate for whatever He gives us to do. This perspective also keeps us from taking any credit for what we accomplish. Without the Lord’s directive and the Spirit’s empowerment, our service is worthless in God’s eyes, no matter how productive it looks from a human standpoint.

What makes an effective servant of Christ is not natural abilities, creativity, or human initiative, but total dependence on Him for both direction and adequacy. God uses those who are weak, humble, submissive, and obedient so that He alone gets the glory.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 8-10

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Romans 6:5-14

Paul served the Lord enthusiastically. The apostle’s zeal was motivated by three things: gratitude for the amazing but undeserved gift of salvation; conviction that the gospel message was true; and the realization that through the cross, sin’s power over him had been broken.

Before salvation, we were slaves to sin and unable to break free. But now, having been united with Christ in His death and resurrection (Rom. 6:5-6), we have received the power to say no to temptation and can choose God’s way instead. Paul knew his old selfish nature had been crucified with Christ; sin no longer had control over him. This knowledge fueled his passion to follow Jesus and live for Him (Gal. 2:20).

Guided by his commission from Christ, Paul expressed his zeal through obedience to the Lord’s direction. Our heavenly Father wants us to focus our passion on carrying out His plan (Matt. 28:19-20).

Like Paul, we are called to live a crucified life—one in which we make the Lord first in our thinking, attitudes, and actions. Such a life includes learning how to walk by faith and stand firm against temptation. While we are unable to do this in our own strength, it is possible through the Holy Spirit. He empowers us to let go of self-centered ways and replace them with godly ones.

Paul’s faith and commitment to the Lord were integral parts of his thinking, conversation, and work. His passionate faith kept him moving forward, even in times of great adversity. The apostle knew that salvation brought forgiveness of the past and a way to live victoriously in the future.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 5-7

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Colossians 4:7-18

The last chapter of Colossians contains a long list of people who served alongside Paul. What’s not highlighted in these verses is these individuals’ talents, skills, abilities, wealth, or position in society. Instead, Paul focuses their character, their service for Christ, and his love and appreciation for each one.

We are each called to ministry in one form or another. Although we tend to think of ministry as something that’s done inside a church, in reality it encompasses everything we do all week long, no matter where we are. In God’s eyes, there’s no division between sacred and secular activities.

For example, while Luke was a physician by profession, he was also an evangelist, a missionary, and a divinely inspired writer of Scripture. His career was not his primary source of purpose and self-fulfillment; rather, it was a means through which he served Christ by ministering to others. A faithful friend and traveling companion to Paul, Luke offered him encouragement and comfort until the day of the apostle’s execution (2 Tim. 4:11).

Luke was perfectly suited for the work the Lord planned for him. He had an analytical, detailed mind which made him a skilled doctor. It also served him in carefully investigating and writing an accurate account of Jesus’ life (the gospel of Luke) and the events of the early church (the book of Acts).

Each of us has been created and fitted by God to fulfill the particular ministry He’s chosen specifically for us. We have been placed on this earth not simply to enjoy ourselves, accumulate wealth, and achieve prominence but to serve the Lord. Our responsibility is to respond with obedience to His call.

Bible in One Year: Leviticus 1-4

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2 Timothy 3:14-17

Yesterday, we saw how King Solomon’s life illustrated the peril of compromise. Concession begins in a seemingly insignificant way. For instance, someone might want you to make a financial decision that you know in your heart is unwise. But you go along with the plan because you don’t want to hurt the other person’s feelings. You have compromised the message of the Holy Spirit, who warned you.

Small compromises lead to more serious ones. With each successive concession, our conscience is weakened. Ultimately, whenever we give way to evil—whether we let go of a doctrinal belief or simply listen to music that taints our thoughts—we always lose.

We compromise for a variety of reasons. Many do so from a fear of rejection or of being unappreciated. Some choose this route to avoid conflict. Still others may begin to doubt God’s trustworthiness or goodness; as a result, they give up on Him, compromising their basic beliefs and undermining their reason for assurance.

To be men and women who are strong enough to resist making concessions, we need to develop some essential armor. First, we must have strong convictions about the Bible and depend on it as a guide for daily living. Next, we need to have faith in God’s promise to supply all of our needs. Finally, we must find the courage to trust in Him, even when we are misunderstood, persecuted, or falsely accused. When we surrender our life to God, He replaces enslavement to compromise with security in Him.

Bible in One Year: Exodus 39-40

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1 Kings 11:1-7

Compromise is so insidious that people often do not even realize when they have stepped on this landmine. There are many instances of good compromise, like two opposing sides coming together through mutual conciliation. But if concessions mean that we believe or act unwisely, then we are in danger. Unfortunately, such unhealthy compromise leads to disappointment and ultimately to destruction.

We do not fall into a life of compromise; rather, we slide into it. King Solomon is a perfect example of how a small compromise can lead to destruction. God clearly tells Solomon not to associate with other nations or make alliances with them. So although getting horses from Egypt seems innocent, it is actually a compromise. What’s more, Solomon also makes an alliance and marries Pharaoh’s daughter. Then he compromises further until he has hundreds of wives. Next, he allows others to worship idols, but soon he himself is involved in the practice too. He finally stoops so low as to build a high place for “Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon” (1 Kings 11:7), whose worship was associated with child sacrifice. This is a horrible picture of the way compromise works.

The principle is the same in our life: A little compromise can lead to complete ruin. People give in to pressure in many different areas—morals, godly principles, clothing style, or participation in gossip or flirtatious conversations. Tomorrow we will look at the nature of compromise as well as some reasons that people yield. We will also see the characteristics of a non-compromiser.

Bible in One Year: Exodus 36-38

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John 15:9-11

Is your life exciting? Or do you, like so many people, find most days routine and tedious? Have dreams become disappointments? If so, you might feel tempted to give up hope. But God promises fulfillment that can’t be found anywhere else.

Joy is a gift from the Lord. It doesn’t depend upon circumstances but rather is found in Jesus’ unchanging character and promises. And that’s exactly where to find true strength and power to endure.

Years ago I found myself being tested on this very point while working on a sermon about joy. A few days earlier, I had baptized a large number of people, and evidently, the repetitive motion had strained my back. There was no pain until midweek, when I tried to lift something heavy. Suddenly, I was dealing with severe backache. Almost immediately, the Lord brought to mind the message I was planning to present a few days later. Even though I complained and desperately wanted to be freed from the pain, I found I could be joyful in the Lord.

Philippians 4:4 tells us always to rejoice in Him. From this command, we know that even in the midst of hardship, we can purposefully choose to live with joy. This choice is possible for believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit and walking obediently (Gal. 5:22-23).

Consider your response to both good and bad times. Does a consistent joy in Christ give you strength? Or do you find emotional relief only in the midst of positive circumstances? Difficulty is inevitable, but God’s truth is able to sustain you. Rely on Him for emotional security.

Bible in One Year: Exodus 10-12

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Matthew 6:33

The Scriptures contain many cautionary examples of men and women who had misplaced priorities. Often, these are the otherwise godly people who had a momentary lapse. This should give every believer pause to consider the importance of taking captive detrimental thoughts and desires.

For good purposes or bad, we set priorities in one of three ways: by evaluating which things ought to carry the most importance; by succumbing to pressure and letting people or circumstances dictate how we should prioritize; or by drifting into habits and modes of thinking that become a way of life. Wise believers will certainly want to avoid the drifting option, as this approach accompanies a life that feels meaningless. And priorities ought to be in place before we face trying circumstances and people—in that way, we can be steadfast in our commitment. The only viable choice, then, is to prioritize deliberately. We do so by setting a goal to live in accordance with God’s purpose and plan.

The priorities we choose are determined by what we value. Sometimes, though, prioritizing can be frustrating since there are so many distractions diverting our focus.

If we consider a right relationship with God to be of utmost importance, then we will put first those actions and thoughts that strengthen our connection with Him. We need to be disciplined in following our goals, because living purposefully is rarely easy. However, the good news is that God knows our heart, and He will honor our sincere attempts to put Him first.

Bible in One Year: Exodus 7-9

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Luke 12:16-21

The Lord’s parable of the foolish wealthy man is a study in misplaced priorities. Modern believers can learn from three mistakes he made: providing for himself, not others; providing for his body, not his spirit; and providing for this life, not the one to come.

There is a penalty for misplaced priorities. This foolish man passed away with no opportunity to enjoy his goods. What’s even worse, he died with a bankrupt soul.

Serving the Lord and His kingdom is the key to setting correct goals. When believers make service for God a main concern, they will use a lens of righteousness to order their priorities. The question we ought to be asking is not “What shall I do?” but rather “Lord, what would You have me do?” The answer—which should be prayerfully sought and biblically evaluated—dictates which things we must put first in order to achieve God’s purpose for us.

Life is not something that simply happens to people. Where we are today is largely determined by the way we prioritized our concerns in previous months and years. This means that we can positively impact our future by organizing our priorities according to biblical guidelines. Then, unlike the foolish man in Jesus’ parable, we will learn the eternal value of providing for others so that our own soul is fed. More than that, we will “store up for [our]selves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal” (Matt. 6:20).

Bible in One Year: Exodus 4-6

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