Religion Walks Around You — Jesus Walks Toward You

Read The Daily:
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” — Psalm 34:18

In Jesus’ story, two religious leaders walk right past the bleeding man. They literally step around him. And that hits different when you realize how many of us assume God is like that too — arms crossed, disappointed, waiting for us to fix ourselves first. Your pastor said it plainly: religion says, “That’s your mess… good luck.” But grace says, “Scoot over, I’m coming in.”

You might feel like you’re too complicated or too inconsistent or too skeptical for God right now. Maybe you’ve got habits you hate, thoughts that scare you, or secrets that exhaust you. Maybe you’re like the woman from the story your pastor shared — afraid someone might be disappointed if they really knew how you were feeling.

But Jesus never once rejected someone who showed up messy. Not once. Every time someone came to Him hurting or doubting or embarrassed, He leaned in closer — not farther. Because love is loudest when we’re at our lowest.
So today, drop the idea that you have to “get it together” before you can get close to God. He isn’t walking around your pain. He’s walking straight toward it.

Prayer for the Day

God what are you  showing me?  What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.

Read The New Testament In A Year

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!” So the jailer told Paul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.” But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!” When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town. Acts 16:25-40

Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on any tree. And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea, “Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.” And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God—144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel: from Judah 12,000 from Reuben 12,000 from Gad 12,000 from Asher 12,000 from Naphtali 12,000 from Manasseh 12,000 from Simeon 12,000 from Levi 12,000 from Issachar 12,000 from Zebulun 12,000 from Joseph 12,000 from Benjamin 12,000. Revelation 7:1-8

Read More – Bible Project Overviews: Acts, Revelation