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  Matthew 12:1-8 Listen to today’s devotional The disciples of Jesus were hungry. So, as they walked through the grainfields, they picked a few heads of grain and ate. To us, that seems harmless. When you're hungry, you eat. To the Pharisees, though, it was a violation of the Sabbath. Part of our challenge in reading this passage is that we don't appreciate the weight of the Sabbath the way they did. Sunday is simply the day we go to church and watch football. But for Israel, the Sabbath was one of the defining signs of being in covenant with God. It reminded them that they belonged to God and that their lives were not measured by their productivity, like back in Egypt, but by their trust in the Lord. So, when the Pharisees challenge Jesus, they're not nitpicking a minor rule. In their minds, they're protecting one of the most sacred gifts God gave them. To us, missing church might mean a busy weekend. To them, dishonoring the Sabbath was dishonoring God. Jesus reminded...

  Exodus 14:10-14 Listen to today’s devotional The Hebrews weren’t crazy. When Exodus 14 tells the story, the people looked back and saw Pharaoh’s army bearing down on them. They said, “It would’ve been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die out here.” And… they weren’t exactly wrong. At least in Egypt, they knew how to survive. Oh, there were brutal moments, for sure. But at least it was familiar and predictable. They woke up every morning knowing just about what the day would throw at them. But in the wilderness, there's nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Death feels more certain than some promise. And the reality is that we sometimes do that too. We look at the life God is calling us into and tremble at the unknown. There's a stretching of faith and trust that makes us uncomfortable or unsure. We might even start romanticizing the thing God promises to deliver us from. Not because it was so good… but because at least we knew what to expect. “Better that than this....

  1 Kings 19:1-8 Listen to today's devotional Elijah collapses under a broom tree and says, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life.” Remember, this is the same man who called down fire in the previous chapter. Let that sit for a moment, and realize that having faith in God does not make you immune to life's despair. Even those who have seen God move in powerful ways can find themselves praying from a place of exhaustion. When it happened to Elijah, notice what God does. He does not scold Elijah or question his calling. He does not say, “After all I’ve done for you…” Instead, God provides. An angel touches him. There's bread, water, and sleep. Then there's even encouragement: "Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” Elijah is not rejected in his weakness. God sustains him through it. I wonder if some of us are under a broom tree right now, so to speak. We're not rebelling or being unfaithful. We're just worn thin. The strain and disa...