For a description of the (Y2) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Luke 11
“Woe to you Pharisees, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.” (Luke 11:44). The Law of Moses stated that anyone who so much as touched a grave was unclean for seven days (Num. 19:16). So Jesus’ statement here is pretty significant. The Pharisees were learned religious leaders. As such, they presumed themselves to be the example and authority on clean, Godly living. They had no issue with showcasing their own supposed righteousness or with calling out the uncleanness of others. With His statement, Jesus told the Pharisees that not only were they not clean, as they supposed, but they were causing others to be unwittingly defiled as well. Ouch!
Throughout the entire Bible, God has very harsh things to say about those who lead His people astray. It sure makes me want to examine my own life. I want to be sure that I’m living to guide people toward Christ, because contact with Him will make them clean. I certainly don’t want to be the one who stands in the way of that.
Dan. 5-6
What motivated Daniel’s enemies? The king? Daniel? What was the king’s response to the miracle? We just saw how the pride of the Pharisees was a roadblock not just to themselves, but also to others. Here in Daniel 6, pride strikes again. King Darius unintentionally found himself in direct opposition to Daniel, unquestionably one of God’s own. To his credit, he was greatly distressed when he became aware of the situation. But if it wasn’t somewhere he wanted to be, how did he end up there?
God’s word constantly reminds me of the need to live intentionally. Darius’ pride led him to make a hasty decision without thinking it through. His trusted men presented him with a proposition that seemed good for him, so he jumped on it. Why not have people exalt him for a month? He failed to stop and consider how the proposed decree might impact others. We, like Darius, can be well-meaning and on the right track. But if we aren’t intentional about keeping our hearts humbled before God we can find ourselves in that undesirable position of causing harm to one of God’s own. In Jesus’ own words, “It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.” (Lk. 17:2).
Ps. 138
For what does David praise the Lord? Which of these reasons resonates with you? Use them to praise him! God is so unlike us!! We lift ourselves up with misplaced piety. God, though He is genuinely righteous and lofty, stoops down to lift up the lowly. We defile others with our pride, while God makes the defiled clean. We cause harm and destruction, but God saves. God, cleanse my heart of every form of pride. Humble me to say, along with David, “I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name” (Ps. 138:2a).