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Bible Reading Plan

Reading Plan: Matthew 6:1-18

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Prayer

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.’

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Fasting

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

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Daily Devotional: Pigs and Pearls

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. 

Matthew 7:6

Today, we reflect on one of Jesus’ most quoted and most misunderstood sayings, “Do not cast your pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6). Jesus was not being cruel or dismissive. He was teaching wisdom. Some truth is too valuable to be treated carelessly, and some people are simply not ready—or willing—to receive it.

Jesus’ point is straightforward: wisdom is wasted on fools. When advice is repeatedly rejected, mocked, or turned against us, continuing to offer it does not make us faithful, it makes us foolish. Proverbs 23:9 echoes this truth, “Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words.” Discernment means knowing when to speak and when to be silent.

Many of us struggle with this. We want to help. We want to prevent pain. We want people we love to avoid mistakes we can clearly see coming. But not all wisdom can be taught through words. Some lessons can only be learned through experience. In those moments, the wisest thing we can do is step back and allow others the dignity of their own choices—even when we know those choices may lead to hardship.

This is not indifference, it is restraint. It is recognizing that our energy is limited and our pearls are precious. Constantly pouring advice into unreceptive hearts drains us and damages relationships. Jesus frees us from the false responsibility of trying to manage other people’s lives.

Letting go does not mean we stop caring. It means we stop arguing, stop striving, and stop casting pearls where they will not be valued. We entrust people to God’s work in their lives, trusting that He can teach through circumstances what we cannot teach through words.

Sometimes love speaks. Sometimes love is silent. And sometimes wisdom looks like stepping aside and allowing experience to become the teacher.

Next Steps

This week, pay attention to the situations you find yourself in. If you notice one in particular that you feel like you have been in before, practice discernment by releasing the need to advise and trusting God to teach what words cannot.