January 12 | Following Jesus in Ordinary Moments

Today’s Bible in a Year reading from Genesis 29–30 and Matthew 9:1–17 invites us to rethink what it really means to follow God in the middle of ordinary life. These passages do not highlight spiritual perfection or dramatic turning points. Instead, they reveal a faithful God working patiently through flawed people, complicated relationships, and everyday responsibilities.In Genesis 29–30, God is at work in the middle of family tension, unmet expectations, and deep longing. Jacob enters marriage through deception and finds himself living with the consequences of manipulation, rivalry, and favoritism. Leah and Rachel wrestle with insecurity, competition, and the desire for love and significance. Yet even in this emotionally charged and broken environment, God continues to build the family through which His promises will unfold. His purposes are not derailed by human weakness.Matthew 9:1–17 reflects the same gracious pattern in the ministry of Jesus. He begins by forgiving and restoring a paralyzed man, showing that grace comes before action. He then calls Matthew while he is seated at his tax booth, fully immersed in a life that others had written off. Jesus does not wait for Matthew to change first. He calls him as he is and invites him into something new.As you listen today, consider how God may be working not only in your strongest moments, but also in your ordinary routines and complicated relationships. The call to follow God often comes quietly, and it always begins with grace.