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The night Jesus was betrayed, He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. He took Peter, James, and John with Him, but the three men couldn’t stay awake. Multiple times Jesus found them asleep instead of watching and praying. In Mark 14:41 He said, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.” We might sympathize with the three sleepy disciples. Surely, they’d endured a long day, and their tiredness is understandable. But have you ever considered that while the disciples were too sleepy to do what was good, Judas had enough energy to betray Jesus?

Sometimes we claim to be too tired or weary to do good and righteous things, but somehow have the energy to do carnal, worldly things. Perhaps Jesus’ question, “are you still sleeping?” is an apt question for our spiritual condition.

Are you seeking God, or do you rely on others to do so? People claim to follow Jesus but often leave things like Bible study to the so-called experts. They expect pastors, preachers, or priests to spend time delving deep into Scripture, but such efforts aren’t for the ordinary or “lay person.” But that isn’t what Jesus wants from us. Yes, church leaders should study and teach the Bible. But every person is responsible for learning what God’s Word teaches to the best of our ability.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Notice who God rewards—those who seek Him. Not those who leave seeking Him to others. If you want to know the Lord, you must know His Word. While others can help you with that, don’t leave such an important task entirely in the hands of others.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 reads, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.’”

Ancient Israel wasn’t so different than modern America. Think about the things we typically take pride in. Often, we’re proud of our education. Or we are proud of our talents and abilities. Or we’re proud of our wealth. But God says that these things aren’t worth boasting about. Instead, our desire should be to know Him. Even if you are uneducated, untalented, and poor—if you know the Lord, you are most blessed! And if we are educated, talented, or wealthy, we should recognize those things are not nearly as important as knowing and serving the Lord.

It wasn’t long after leaving Egypt that Israel faced a major problem—how were they going to eat? Barely two weeks free, many people were ready to go back to Egypt. After all, even if they had been slaves, at least they had food to eat. But then God did something amazing—He rained bread heaven. This miraculous manna fed the nation until they finally entered Canaan.

In Deuteronomy 8:3, Moses provides this commentary on the provision of manna: “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna…that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” God didn’t provide manna the first day Israel left Egypt. He let them understand their lack and their need and then see how God could provide. Are we open to learning from the hardship we face? Do our trials teach us to rely on the Lord?

The Biblical prophets often point out how silly it is to trust in and worship idols. Isaiah 40:19-20 says, “An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move.” The picture is quite remarkable—Isaiah describes people who do a lot of work for their gods to exist. They try to choose precious materials that won’t rot. If a god relies upon human activity to ensure it does not rot, it’s not much of a god!

Sadly, many today are just as guilty. Maybe they don’t build gold or silver idols—instead, they just worship the gold and silver. Or they prop up some other thing that ultimately will pass away. But just like statues, our modern idols have no power to save. So, instead, turn to the one true God and serve Him!

Recently, the Kansas City Chiefs’ kicker sparked nationwide outrage because of comments he made at a college commencement speech—particularly about wives and mothers. Many labeled the speech misogynistic and even called for his immediate firing.

Initially, I was blown away by the outrage. Why were people so shocked by his remarks? But then I asked myself the same question. Why am I surprised when the world hates Biblical viewpoints? Why are Christians surprised when the world does worldly things? Jesus once said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world…the world hates you.”

Jesus doesn’t call us to return that hate. We love and pray for our enemies and share Jesus’ love with them. But Jesus was clear—such love will often be met with hatred instead of respect and gratitude.