What Is God Saying to Us Today?

Daily Office Readings – Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Readings: Psalm 26; 1 Samuel 19:1–18; Acts 12:1–17; Mark 2:1–12

Today’s readings remind us that God’s love is often revealed through the actions of ordinary people.

The psalmist declares, “Your love is before my eyes.” (Psalm 26:3). Those words become the lens through which we can read each passage today.

David’s life was in danger. Saul’s jealousy had grown into a determination to kill him. Yet God revealed His love through members of Saul’s own family. Jonathan, David’s loyal friend, pleaded with his father on David’s behalf. When Saul’s anger returned, Michal, David’s wife and Saul’s daughter, helped David escape through a window and devised a plan to delay the soldiers pursuing him. In a house filled with hatred, God’s love found faithful hearts willing to protect life.

The Book of Acts tells another story of danger and deliverance. King Herod executed James, the brother of John, hoping to destroy the growing movement of Jesus’ followers. Peter was arrested and placed under heavy guard, awaiting the same fate. But the church responded in the only way they could—they prayed without ceasing.

God answered those prayers in a remarkable way. An angel led Peter out of prison while the guards remained unaware. Peter hurried to the home where believers had gathered. When Rhoda answered the door and recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overwhelmed with joy that she forgot to open the gate and ran to tell everyone he was outside. It is one of the Bible’s most human moments. They had been praying for Peter’s release, yet they struggled to believe that God had answered their prayers so quickly.

Mark’s Gospel offers another picture of love in action. Four friends refused to let obstacles prevent them from bringing a paralyzed man to Jesus. Finding the house too crowded to enter, they climbed onto the roof, removed part of it, and lowered their friend into Jesus’ presence. Jesus first forgave the man’s sins and then healed his body. Before the miracle of healing came the miracle of friendship—a love that would not give up.

Each story asks the same question: How does God reveal His love?

Sometimes it is through a loyal friend like Jonathan.

Sometimes it is through a courageous family member like Michal.

Sometimes it is through a praying church that refuses to lose hope.

Sometimes it is through four determined friends who carry another person’s burdens.

God’s love is not merely an idea. It takes flesh in people who choose courage over fear, compassion over convenience, and faith over despair.

Perhaps God is asking us today: Whose Jonathan can I be? Whose Michal can I become? For whom can I pray? Who needs me to help carry them into the presence of Jesus?

When we become instruments of God’s love, others begin to see what the psalmist saw all along:

“Your love is before my eyes.”

Prayer

Loving God, open my eyes to see Your love at work around me. Make me a faithful friend, a courageous servant, and a person who carries others to You through prayer, compassion, and acts of kindness. May my life become a visible sign of Your love to those who need hope today. Amen.