January 25 | Stubbornness Always Costs More Than Surrender

Today’s Bible in a Year reading from Exodus 12–13 and Matthew 16 invites us to consider how stubbornness shapes our response to God, and how obedience offered late often carries a heavier cost. Both passages gently press us to notice where resistance gives way only after loss, and how God continues working even then.In Exodus 12, Pharaoh finally releases the Israelites, but only after devastating consequence. God’s warnings were clear, His patience was evident, yet stubborn refusal delayed obedience until the cost became overwhelming. Even in judgment, God rescues His people and fulfills His promises, though the moment is marked by grief that could have been avoided.In Matthew 16, Jesus confronts the resistance of hearts that struggle to accept God’s work on God’s terms. He exposes how easily we cling to our own understanding, even when it leads us away from life and truth. The tension between surrender and self-protection becomes unmistakably clear.Together, these readings invite us to reflect on where we may be delaying trust. They ask us to consider whether obedience is something we’re postponing instead of practicing, and whether God is calling us to respond now, while grace still speaks quietly and today is still fully ours.