Good morning. Today is Monday, July 13th!

🥳 Congratulations on starting today with God, and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

📖 Verse Of The Day

— Proverbs 22:13

🧠 Devotional

The Bible never gives the command, “Don’t make excuses.”

But from Genesis to the Gospels, it repeatedly shows how easily good reasons can become excuses that keep us from doing what we know is right.

That’s what makes excuses so dangerous. They rarely sound like excuses.

They sound like, “I’m too busy.” “I’ll start tomorrow.” “I’m not ready yet.” “Someone else can do it.” “Now just isn’t the right time.”

What’s fascinating is that almost nobody in Scripture thought they were making excuses either. They genuinely believed they had good reasons.

The pattern begins in Genesis.

After Adam and Eve sinned, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:12–13). Instead of taking responsibility, they explained why it wasn’t really their fault.

As you keep reading, the same pattern appears again and again. When God called Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, Moses responded with objection after objection:

“Who am I?” “What if they don’t believe me?” “I’m not eloquent.” “Please send someone else.” (Exodus 3–4).

His fears were real, but God kept bringing him back to one truth: “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12).

Proverbs even describes how convincing excuses can sound: “The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!’” (Proverbs 22:13).

Whether there was really a lion isn’t the point. The obstacle became a reason to do nothing. That’s often how excuses work they make today’s obstacle feel bigger than tomorrow’s opportunity.

So how do you know if you’re making an excuse?

Ask yourself: Am I looking for a reason to move forward, or a reason to stay where I am? Is this obstacle keeping me from doing what I already know is right?

A reason looks for a way through.

An excuse looks for a way out.

That’s why David prayed, “Search me, God, and know my heart” (Psalm 139:23–24). Sometimes the hardest excuses to recognize are our own.

Not every reason is an excuse, but every excuse starts sounding like a reason. Ask God to reveal the excuses hiding in your everyday life and give you the courage to choose faith, responsibility, and obedience instead.