We sometimes mistake religious performance for a relationship with God, convinced that if we just check enough boxes, we’re doing what He desires. The Pharisees kept all the rules, yet their hearts were far from Him. Jesus repeatedly crossed their man-made boundaries, not in rebellion, but to remind us that God cares more about what’s right than what’s merely religious. The world isn’t looking for people with all the answers; they want to see people who actually look like Jesus. May we have the courage to love like He does, even when the religious establishment won’t, because doing what’s right sometimes means breaking the rules.

God Has Not Forgotten You
After a year like 2020 it’s easy to have moments of anxiety, fear and panic, and even to wonder at times if God has forgotten you in the midst of all the chaos. Noah must have felt the same way during that long year when he was closed off inside the ark. Yet during that terrible trial, we read the beautiful words, “But God remembered Noah,” and we discover that he had never been out of God’s care for a single day! Whatever struggle you may be facing right now, take heart in knowing that God has not forgotten you!



