READING: 2 Samuel 1-3, Luke 22:14-46
Within one day.
Actually, within just a few hours.
Sometimes, within just a few minutes.
That’s all it takes for us to make dumb decisions that cost us much more than we ever considered. Simon Peter learned that truth the hard way when he denied knowing Jesus only hours after he had said that would never happen. He would die for Jesus, he had in fact said. Jesus, though, told him something different: “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me” (Luke 22:38).
By the time the next day came, Peter would break his word. He would make decisions that would ultimately bring him only grief. And, none of us is immune to this possibility—whether or not we’re willing to recognize it. In fact, an unwillingness to admit potential failure is a warning sign of an impending fall.
PRAYER: “God, remind me how much I need You every second of the day.”
DAILY ACTION STEP: Evaluate your own life for places where you might be within minutes or hours of making sinful choices.
TOMORROW’S READING: Weekend is for catch-up and review
MONDAY’S READING: 2 Samuel 4-7, Luke 22:47-23:5