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Bible Reading Plan

Reading Plan: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

“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.

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: Hard to Say, Harder to Hear

Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Luke 6:26

Blessed are you when people hate you,
    when they exclude you and insult you
    and reject your name as evil,
        because of the Son of Man.

Luke 6:22

“So, are you saying I’m going to hell? How dare you!” Many who claim to follow Jesus will never experience this reaction. I don’t pray that everyone will have this experience, but I do have an idea why it doesn’t happen more. I know what it feels like to get this angry reaction from someone close to me. Time has passed. Emotions have settled. We still don’t see eye-to-eye about Jesus’ teachings, but we still love each other.

Honestly, this encounter shook me up. I deeply love God and people. But anytime I’m afraid of rejection, the temptation to give up on God and give in to people-pleasing shows up. When I have something hard to say, it’s usually because I know it’s going to be harder to hear by the person across from me. In these moments, I can speak up or shy away. I can be bold like Jesus and point people to Him and God’s truth. Or I can cower like a false prophet who would rather be liked than honor the One they claim to serve. I’ve done both.

Jesus perfectly and unconditionally loved each person He encountered. But that didn’t stop Him from saying hard things that were even harder to hear. Read through the gospels. You’ll uncover plenty of tense moments with Christ at the center. The truths Jesus spoke convicted both the spiritually curious and contemptuous alike—leave it all behind and follow Me, love your enemies, and forgive without keeping score. Eternal destiny was only part of His message from God, but that seems to be the one that triggers most people. And anyone who has followed Jesus since He returned to heaven gets to handle this hard-to-say, harder-to-hear reality today.

The tension in the room is clear: Will we speak the truth of Jesus clearly and courageously? Or will we shrink back in fear like a false prophet? I’m not raising this issue to push you into hot water with people. Rather, I’m putting it out there so you and I can grow in truly loving God and loving people—especially when Christ stirs us to share something that’s hard to say and harder to hear.

Next Steps

Has God given you something hard to say, harder to hear, that you’ve been putting off sharing with someone? If so, pray for courage and speak it with loving kindness. They may end up speaking well of you for simply being honest and direct.

Do you struggle with shying away more than speaking up when it comes to your faith? Talk about today’s devotion with your small group leader or a friend. Discuss ways to share God’s truth without giving up on Him or giving in to people-pleasing.