MONDAY - Devotional

READ: Matthew 19:16-26

(Answer the question/s below in your app notes)

• Why is it sometimes difficult to prepare for eternal life?

“The test will be 50% of your grade, and it will be cumulative,” Dr. Li warned, her tone and expression serious. “Do not put off studying until the night before. Prepare by reviewing each module at the end of each week.” Leah slumped in her chair, listening to the professor’s lecture. She already hated biology, but this course was feeling more and more like a chore than a learning opportunity. Nonetheless, Leah was a good student and wanted to do well. She opened her planner and wrote a note every Sunday until the end of the semester: Study biology!

Only, each Sunday, without a pressing deadline, she ignored the note in her planner and prioritized other schoolwork. When the week of finals came, Leah was panicked. On Monday, she stayed up until four in the morning, cramming information on kingdom, phylum, class, order…it all blended together. On Tuesday, she stayed up until two, exhausted from the near all-nighter she’d just pulled. Finally, Wednesday arrived, and Leah set five alarms so she wouldn’t sleep through the test. She arrived, took the test, and got a B. Not bad, but also not as good as she could’ve gotten.

Jesus tells us over and over: Faith is not cramming for a test. Faith is a daily practice. A relationship with Jesus isn’t about studying all the rules the night before the Second Coming—it’s about growing in Christ each and every day.