November 26, 2025 // Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 21:12-19
Reflect on the Word //
Walking through the aisle of the plane I fix my eyes on the nearest exit. It is just what I do. When staying in a hotel, I make note of the emergency exits. In a dark parking lot, I try to back into the space nearest the lights. I even check the state department website for advisories before traveling internationally. Threat levels are always being evaluated. My dad calls it situational awareness—being aware of the space, the people, the dangers in a situation. Maybe some people do it naturally or maybe it is a learned behavior; as a psychologist I feel like I should know but I don’t.
If you are someone who is always looking for the exit, today’s Gospel may be difficult to take. Jesus tells His disciples that they will suffer, be arrested, have to testify, and they should not prepare their defense ahead of time. He tells them honestly what will come next, but then assures them that they should not be looking for the exit when they witness to His Gospel. Trouble is coming, but He won’t abandon them. They will be called to testify and He will give them wisdom in speaking. This is a real challenge for me. I want to trust in the Lord, in His goodness and guidance, and I want to be overprepared as well. But there is a beautiful balance that is required.
There is work to do—but that work entails knowing the Lord, cooperating with God’s grace, regularly repenting of sin, and growing in relationship with Him. Preparation looks different. Let Him be the guide; let Him give us the words and wisdom. When we prepare this way, we enter into our call to witness Christ’s love to the world differently than if we were going through life without the Lord.
In the midst of the difficulty, do we focus on listening to the Lord or do we strive to escape? We don’t need to employ our exit strategy; we need to surrender to the Lord’s will for our life, step out with courage, and testify to the truth.
Relate to the Lord // How have you been looking for an escape? Share it with the Lord and focus on listening to Him. What does He say?
Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett is a writer, national speaker, and podcast host covering topics in psychology and faith. She holds a PhD in Educational Psychology and works at the important intersection of faith and developmental science, blending them in the original harmony God intended. Dr. Mary Ruth is the author of Daughter by Design: Discovering Your Identity as God's Beloved Daughter, and co-coauthor of Spiritual Discernment for Beginners: Learning to Hear God and Defeat the Lies of the Enemy. She is a contributing author to All She Had and our children’s devotional prayer book called Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
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