Daily Devotional For Tuesday Thoughts | May 5, 2026
It’s Tuesday, and time for your daily devotional. Although correction can be a hard pill to swallow, it helps you see yourself and change behaviors that negatively affect your spiritual life. In Matthew 23, Jesus gave the scribes and Pharisees an unfiltered look at themselves. In today’s daily devotional, receive the Lord’s correction, as it’s designed to make you wise.
Woe Unto You
The Pharisees were committed to unrighteousness, leading Jesus to pronounce woes upon them. They needed a harsh reality to remove their pride and self-righteousness. Jesus delivered a fifth woe to them in verse 23: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
The Pharisees were careful to extract ten percent even from their herbs and spices. However, they missed living righteously before God. Focusing on the letter of the law, they missed the Spirit behind it. In your daily devotional, it’s good to pay tithes, but if you don’t obey God’s word, it’s a hypocritical act.
Examine Yourselves
The scribes and Pharisees rejected God’s judgment and didn’t evaluate themselves in light of the word. If your beliefs, intentions, and actions don’t measure up to God’s standard, you’re in disobedience. In 2 Corinthians 13:5, Paul says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.” In this daily devotional, as a believer, you must examine yourself to ensure you’re aligning with God’s word.
No Spiritual Fervor
They also lacked mercy, which is love, compassion, and kindness. Ephesians 2:4 declares that God is rich in mercy, and He demonstrates the greatness of His love. The scribes and Pharisees were religious leaders in Israel. They were to be examples of godliness while teaching and leading the people in worship and prayer. Yet they had no spiritual fervor towards God; they cared more about looking the part.
Jesus didn’t condemn their tithes, which was correct, but giving them without mercy is wrong. Giving doesn’t override an evil heart or mask it before God. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God tells Samuel that man looks at the outward appearance, but God sees the heart. In today’s daily devotional, whatever you do, do it with a pure heart.
Make Faith a Priority
Moreover, the scribes and Pharisees lacked faith, which is at the core of one’s relationship with God. Faith isn’t a New Testament concept. Adam and Eve had to trust God as their Provider; Abel offered his sacrifice by faith. Noah moved in faith, and Abraham is the Father of Faith. The Israelites had to trust God and walk by faith when He brought them out of Egypt. Jesus taught His disciples to have the faith of God and showed them what faith looks like.
Paul declares in Ephesians 2:8 that “by grace are ye saved through faith,” and asserts in Hebrews 11:6 that it’s impossible to please God without faith. Therefore, faith is paramount in the life of God’s people, but the “leaders” of Israel didn’t have it. In your daily devotional, make faith a priority by reading and acting on the word daily to develop it.
The Whole Counsel of God
In Tuesday’s daily devotional, Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that even though they did outward things, like tithing, they were required to have a heart of mercy, faith, and judgment. Sins of omission are still sins. In today’s daily devotional, obey the whole counsel of God. It is your wisdom.
