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Prepare Your Heart

To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.

Read God’s Word

Exodus 39:22-40:38
Matthew 26:6-25

A Verse for Today

Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.

Matthew 26:21-22 (CSB): “While they were eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ Deeply distressed, each one began to say to him, ‘Surely not I, Lord?'”

Reflecting on God’s Word

Every Jesus-follower will struggle with sin this side of Heaven. We will hate sin, but we won’t be completely free from its clutches until we arrive in our Heavenly home and our sin nature is removed forever.

But there are some Christians that fall into such serious sin that it destroys their witness and their service in the Kingdom. Many of us hear the news of such moral failures and say things like, “What?! I would have NEVER thought THEY could have done such a thing!”

When we think of Judas, we probably think of someone who could have been easily spotted among the Twelve Apostles. Most certainly, we think that the other Eleven, after spending a few years with Judas, would have suspected that he had a very bad heart.

But Matthew 26:21-22 tells us that when Jesus said that one of the Twelve would betray him, none of them pointed at Judas. None said, “Jesus! I know who it is! It’s Judas! I never did like his shifty eyes!”

Instead, they each questioned their own hearts. They asked, “Lord, is it me? I can’t imagine ever doing such a thing, but You’ve taught me that my heart can deceive me, and I could do things I never thought I would ever do. Is it me?”

We can talk badly about Judas. What He did was unspeakably evil. However, the lesson we can learn is that anyone is capable of doing things that would shock others. That’s why we need to be so intentional about cultivating a godly heart. If we are toying with sin in our minds and hearts, we shouldn’t be surprised if we act on those thoughts when the opportunity arises.

So, kill sin in your life (Romans 8:13). Chase after righteousness (2 Timothy 2:22). Confess and repent quickly, sincerely, and completely when you stumble into sin. And rely upon God and His grace to help you make good on all of this. Without Him, we will certainly fail.

After all, you and I are very capable of shocking others with a major stumble into sin if we don’t.

Spend Time in Prayer

  • Ask God to help you see that you might be one weak moment away from committing a horrible sin.
  • Ask God to help you hate sin and not give it any room in your heart to grow.
  • Confess and repent of any sin you commit quickly, sincerely, and completely.
  • Ask God to give you a hunger and thirst for righteousness that manifests itself in much time in your Bible and putting it into practice in your life.

Going Deeper

If you want to dig a little deeper into Judas’ heart and getting victory over sin, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:

“What does ‘Satan entered into him’ mean regarding Judas in John 13:27?”

“What is the key to victory when struggling with sin?”

Sharing

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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)