Key Verses
7     But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice,
8 and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.
 
Meditation
The Lord’s sovereign rule provides personal peace overflowing in praise and petition. 

In today's reading, David sets his heart to praise the Lord with thanksgiving and joy (vv. 1-2). He rejoices in God’s saving acts (vv. 3-6) and confesses the Lord as a secure refuge for the oppressed (vv. 7-10).  Internal peace pushes out praise as David calls all of God’s people to worship the Lord as King (vv. 11-12). The Lord alone is enthroned in Zion, and His people are summoned to celebrate His wondrous works.

The praise rising from covenant security in God’s kingship is accompanied by powerful petition. Knowing the Lord reigns, David pleads for deliverance from his enemies (vv. 13-14) and for justice against wicked nations (vv. 15-18). These prayers are not vindictive but faithful, trusting the Lord to judge rightly. As David prays, he draws the congregation with him, uniting their voices in a shared cry for justice: “Let the nations know that they are but men!” (vv. 19-20).

The Lord’s reign is most clearly revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus rules over every enemy, power, and authority. At the cross, Jesus bore the justice we deserved and disarmed His enemies through sacrificial love. In His resurrection, Jesus conquered death so that all who trust in Him may live in peace that overflows in praise. And when He returns, Jesus will finally and fully establish justice, renewing all things for His glory and the good of His people.

Until Jesus returns, we have peace in His covenant faithfulness manifest in praise and petition.

Today’s Reading
1  I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
2     I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3     When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before your presence.
4     For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.
5     You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;
you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6     The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;
their cities you rooted out;
the very memory of them has perished.
7     But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
8     and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.
9     The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10    And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
11    Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!
Tell among the peoples his deeds!
12    For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13    Be gracious to me, O Lord!
See my affliction from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
14    that I may recount all your praises,
that in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in your salvation.
15    The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16    The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. 
Higgaion. Selah
17    The wicked shall return to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
18    For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.
19    Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail;
let the nations be judged before you!
20    Put them in fear, O Lord!
Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the peace of King David that pours forth praise and His petitions for God’s justice to be manifest among wicked nations?
 
-Where do you struggle to have this kind of peace and petition in God’s sovereign rule and reign over the world- do you believe this truth?
 
-How does the finished work of Jesus and His sure promises strengthen your faith to trust His sovereign grace, claiming the peace He provides as you pray for His just reign over all things?
 
Key Verses
7     But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice,
8     and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness. 

Key Verse
28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 
 
Meditation
God’s covenant love is set upon a particular people, but God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11). Peter proclaimed this truth after the Roman Cornelius and his house came to faith, saying, “‘Truly I understand, God shows no partiality’” (Acts 10:34).
 
Partiality is poison.  It distorts love and inevitably produces fracture. Favoritism rooted in preference, productivity, status, ethnicity, or any other measure corrodes parenting, strains families, divides God’s people, and shatters societies. God’s love shows no partiality because God is love.
 
In today’s reading, the narrative transitions from Abraham to Isaac as the spotlight turns to Jacob and Esau (vv. 1-18). Their relationship is marked early by competition, climaxing in the manipulation of a birthright between brothers (vv. 29-34). At the fountainhead of this dysfunction stands parental partiality: Isaac loved Esau because of his performance, because he enjoyed what Esau provided through hunting, while Rebekah loved Jacob (v. 28). This divided affection shaped divided hearts. The brothers would not be reconciled until after a murderous plot and a long season of painful separation (27:41).
 
Scripture is unambiguous: God shows no favoritism (Deuteronomy 10:17), and His people are forbidden to do so as well (James 2:1-9). Even Peter stumbled by showing partiality in the Galatian church (Galatians 2). Still, Peter’s failure reminds us of good news: Jesus forgives, restores, and gives fresh beginnings. Jesus redeems our prejudice and partiality through His impartial love, dying for us while we were still His enemies. 
 
When our hearts, homes, and churches are centered on the covenant love of Jesus, fracture gives way to fullness. Impartial love fulfills God’s law (Romans 13:10) and reflects God’s character to a watching world.   
 
Today’s Reading
Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5 Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. 6 But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. 
 
7 These are the days of the years of Abraham’s life, 175 years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9 Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10 the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. 11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi. 
 
12 These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. 17 (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) 18 They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen. 

The Birth of Esau and Jacob
19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her, 

       “Two nations are in your womb, 
and two peoples from within you shall be divided; 
       the one shall be stronger than the other, 
the older shall serve the younger.” 

24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. 

27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 

Esau Sells His Birthright
29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. 
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially from the introduction and first actions of Jacob and Esau?
 
-Where do you see partiality and the problems resulting from it in the Church and your life?
 
-How does the character of God and the work of Jesus challenge you to not only find forgiveness but move forward in impartial love? Where does this need to be most clearly seen? Be specific.
 
Key Verse
28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 
 

Key Verses
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 
 
Meditation
The gospel is the power of God for all who believe. Faith is the key to unlock God’s power for redemption, renewal, reconciliation, and restoration.
 
In today’s reading, Paul introduces himself as one set apart for the gospel (v. 1) and defines that gospel as God’s ancient plan of salvation… promised beforehand in the Scriptures and fulfilled in the resurrected King, Jesus Christ (vv. 2- 5). Writing with gratitude and affection (vv. 8-12), Paul longs to visit Rome so that he might proclaim the power of the gospel to all people (vv. 13–15).
 
At the heart of Paul’s letter is this declaration: the gospel is the power of God for all who believe (v. 16), the righteousness of God that is from faith and for faith (v. 17). Quoting Habakkuk, Paul announces “The righteous shall live by faith!” before pivoting to the sobering reality of life apart from faith, God’s wrath revealed against all who suppress the truth and celebrate ungodliness (v. 18). 
 
As Creator, God has made Himself known through His creation, leaving humanity without excuse (vv. 19-20). But people suppress the truth, exchanging it for lies, idolatry, and corruption. Nearly two dozen expressions of this rebellion fill the closing verses, painting a devastating picture of unrighteousness that invites the just wrath of God (vv. 21-32).
 
The problem in the world is unrighteousness that suppresses the truth and celebrates lies. The solution is found in the gospel alone. By faith, believers know Jesus Christ bore the wrath we deserve and carried our unrighteousness to death, so that in Him we might be made alive through His resurrection to walk in newness of life.
 
Today’s Reading
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, 6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, 

7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: 
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Longing to Go to Rome
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 
 
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 
 
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. 
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you more from this chapter, God’s just wrath or God’s gracious gospel, welcome to all who have faith?
 
-Where do you see parallels between the unrighteous and ungodly lives that suppress the truth, described in 18-32, and today’s culture?
 
-How does seeing the alignment help diagnose the need for the gospel to be proclaimed by God’s people? With whom is Jesus calling you to share the hope of good news in His work? Take a moment to ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to not be ashamed to proclaim the power of God for salvation.
 
Key Verse
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 

Key Verse
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good.
 
Meditation
God’s grace invites you to turn from self-reliance and trust the goodness of His purposeful providence. God is working in every detail of life according to His will (Ephesians 1:11), for good (Genesis 50:20), to accomplish His purpose (Isaiah 46:10), and to conform His people to the likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:28-29).
 
Today’s reading illustrates the Westminster Short Catechism’s definition of God’s providence: “God’s most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing of His creatures, and all their actions” (Q&A 11). God’s promise shaped Abraham’s obedience as he sent his servant away from Canaan to find a wife for his son (vv. 1-9). God’s providence then guided that servant directly to Rebekah (vv. 10-21).
 
Biblical faith rests on the conviction that all things are from God. Rebekah encounters a stranger at a well who asks her to leave her homeland and travel across the world, claiming he was on a mission from God. Laban and Rebekah do not know what the reader knows; they can only discern the hand of God’s providence. Laban says, “The thing has come from the Lord…” and Rebekah says, “… I will go” (vv. 50, 59). 
 
Seeing this, we must move from the foolish attempt to control our lives to trusting Jesus, who holds authority over all things. This trust is not easy. Even Jesus wrestled with the weight of God’s providential will (Luke 22:42), and yet He obediently went to the cross for people like us who struggle to surrender. Because of God’s sovereign and steadfast love, we are given security to trust that every detail of our lives is being woven together for our good and for His glory.
 
Today’s Reading
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh, 3 that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, 4 but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” 5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6 Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter. 
 
10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.” 
 
15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.” 18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not. 
 
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, 23 and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” 24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She added, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” 26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord 27 and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.” 28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 

29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring. 30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, “Come in, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” 32 So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” He said, “Speak on.”
 
34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father’s house. 41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’ 
 
42 “I came today to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go, 43 behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” 44 and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,” let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’ 
 
45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.” 
 
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.” 
 
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” 56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, 

       “Our sister, may you become 
thousands of ten thousands, 
       and may your offspring possess 
the gate of those who hate him!” 

61 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way. 
62 Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. 
 
Richly Dwelling
-Do you struggle to see every detail of life purposed by God? Why or why not?
 
-How does this narrative help you see God’s sovereignty working every detail of life for His purpose and His plan?
 
-Where do you need to see God’s grace, inviting you into the place of total trust in His sovereignty? What parts of your life do you need to see as God’s plan and purpose? Be specific, and focus on Jesus more than what Jesus may or may not be doing through your pains and problems.
 
Key Verse
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good.

Key Verse
7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
 
Meditation
Jesus was raised from the dead for the justification of His people (Romans 4:25). Because Jesus rose from the grave, Christians rejoice in the righteousness of Jesus imputed to us through faith, secure in God’s steadfast love. This reality is elevated in today’s reading by including a simple phrase about the apostle Peter.
 
Peter, having just denied knowing Jesus three times, had every reason to doubt his standing before God. Peter’s failure magnifies God’s grace revealed in the angel’s words, “Jesus has risen... go tell the disciples, and Peter” (vv. 6-7). The resurrection announcement carries a personal note of mercy. Mary obeys, going to tell the disciples… and Peter. The very ones who abandoned Jesus in His death are now welcomed to meet the risen Christ and share in new life. Justification rests entirely on Jesus’ work for us, never on our performance before Him.
 
Later, the risen Jesus appears to Peter personally (1 Corinthians 15:5) and gently restores him by the sea (see John 21). What we often miss is the power of justification displayed in this resurrection-shaped reconciliation. The empty tomb does not merely announce victory over death; it proclaims a restored relationship for fallen disciples
 
Jesus’ death fully satisfied the penalty of sin, God writing “paid in full” across the debt we owed. Jesus’ resurrection is the proof of payment and the promise of righteousness for all who believe. For Peter (and for us), the resurrection is the unshakable foundation that our sins are forgiven and that we may return to God with confidence, justified by Jesus’ finished work.
 
Today’s Reading
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
 
Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
Jesus Appears to Two Disciples12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country.13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

The Great Commission
14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the “And Peter” included in the simple resurrection message? 
 
-Do you identify with the need to be singled out to hear not only that your sins are taken by Jesus but His righteousness is given to you to secure your status in God’s steadfast love? Take a moment to confess specific sin(s) to receive the forgiveness of Jesus.
 
-How is the sure forgiveness of Jesus for your sin a catalyst to show forgiveness to others? How does His finished work give you confidence to love and serve Him? Take a moment to consider who you need to forgive and ask Jesus to help you steward the forgiveness He has shown you by forgiving others. Likewise, ask the Spirit to show you how to boldly come to Jesus today, knowing His grace more fully to serve Him more faithfully.
 
Key Verse
7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

Key Verse
19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
 
Meditation
God’s providence carries forward His promises toward their fulfillment through death and inconsistent discipleship. 
 
In today’s reading, Sarah dies. Scripture names Sarah a woman of faith because she trusted God’s promise to give a child, even in her barren state and old age (Hebrews 11:11-13). Sarah once laughed at God’s promise (Genesis 18:12) and, losing hope,  gave her servant Hagar to Abraham (Genesis 16:2). God’s sovereign grace redeems what He allows. He does not excuse sin, but His faithfulness outshines it by keeping His promise despite human weakness. 
 
Abraham buries Sarah and faces a significant question: should he accept the burial site as a gift or pay for the land? Abraham identifies himself as a “foreigner and stranger” (v. 4), though he lived there for decades. God had already promised Abraham the land of Canaan (Genesis 15:18-20), but he insists on paying full price (vv. 11-16) to ensure neither he nor his offspring would be indebted to the people of the land. Not grasping prematurely at God’s promise, Abraham trusted God to fulfill His promises in His time and way. 
 
Sarah is buried at Hebron, the place where King David will later reign (2 Samuel 2:5:5). David’s greater son, Jesus Christ, will provide the fullness of God’s promised blessing through His faithful life and substitutionary death, extending God’s promises beyond the land and lineage to eternal life in God’s presence for all who believe. 

God’s promises do not die with Sarah, nor are they derailed by her and Abraham’s failures. They endure, carried forward by God’s providence, secured by His faithfulness, and fulfilled in His redeeming grace.
 
Today’s Reading
Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, 4 “I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” 5 The Hittites answered Abraham, 6 “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead.” 7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. 8 And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place.” 
 
10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, 11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” 12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” 16 Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants. 
 
17 So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites. 
 
Richly Dwelling
-What does it say about God’s grace that Sarah is reflected upon as a woman of faith (Hebrews 11:11-13)?
 
-Why is it important that Abraham did not allow the inhabitants of Canaan to have any right to the space of the land God had promised Him? What does it say about Abraham that he chose to welcome God’s free promise more than the culture's offer of free land?
 
-How can you trust God’s grace more and embrace God’s rule through Christ so His blessing can flow on you and through you in every place He puts you?
 
Key Verse
19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.