Day 191

Obadiah 1 | Matthew 12:22–42 | Proverbs 16

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The glimmer of hope I mentioned yesterday?

It’s still just a glimmer.

My meeting with the other firm’s CMO went well. We hit it off. She said she was very impressed with my experience and expertise.

But instead of a green light, I got a calendar reminder: “Circle back in September.” Not exactly the momentum I was hoping for. A little deflating—but not unfamiliar.

That brings me to today’s reading—and to a book I’ve never once heard someone quote in a devotional.

Until today.

The Little Book with Teeth

Full disclosure: I’m no Bible scholar. I only know anything about Obadiah thanks to the trusty background page in my study Bible. And I had to read that page—twice. Slowly.

But it turns out this one-chapter, blink-and-you-miss-it book has teeth.

Obadiah is a judgment against Edom—descendants of Esau, Israel’s estranged brother. When Jerusalem was attacked, Edom didn’t help. They gloated. Looted. Even blocked refugees trying to escape.

So God responds.

“The pride of your heart has deceived you…Though you soar like the eagle…From there I will bring you down.” (v3–4)

It’s a warning to the arrogant. The secure. The ones who kick others when they’re down.

Obadiah ends with a whisper of hope—one line that lifts the whole chapter above judgment and into promise:

“The kingdom shall be the Lord’s.” (v21)

That’s the mountain He’s building. And it couldn’t be more different from the one Edom stood on.

The Mountain He Will Make Right

Edom’s mountain had become a monument to pride. To self-made strength. To the illusion of invincibility.

But God says Mount Zion—the place of His presence—will be the mountain that lasts.

One will crumble.

One will stand.

And that hit me today. Because sometimes it feels like I’m watching other people build their mountains while mine hasn’t even cleared the permit stage.

They’re rising.

But me? I’m “circling back” in September.

Because the mountain God builds doesn’t always go up fast.

It goes up faithful.

And when the dust settles, it’s the only one left standing.

But Obadiah wasn’t the only voice calling down false kingdoms today.

Something Greater Is Here

In Matthew 12, Jesus shows up—and once again, He’s accused.

This time, for healing. For freeing. For doing what no one else could do.

And the religious elite can’t handle it.

So they call Him evil.

But Jesus doesn’t flinch. Instead, He warns them with stories they knew by heart: Jonah and the Ninevites. The Queen of the South.

And then He says something staggering:

“Something greater than Jonah is here…

Something greater than Solomon is here.” (vv41–42)

In other words: You can’t contain Me. And your mountains aren’t as secure as you think.

Because there’s a better Kingdom.

A better King.

And He’s already come.

Still Waiting? You’re Not Alone.

Maybe you’re in the “circle back later” stage of something you hoped would happen now.

Maybe your mountain hasn’t moved.

Or it’s crumbled altogether.

Maybe you’re watching others rise while you’re still just trying to believe.

You’re not forgotten.

You’re not behind.

And you’re not the only one waiting for God to make it right.

Because the proud don’t get the final word.

The self-made don’t get the final mountain.

And delay isn’t the same as denial in the Kingdom of God.

So remember this: The Kingdom shall be the Lord’s. And one day soon, every mountain will bow.

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Lord, when the ground beneath me feels unstable, remind me that You are the Rock that never moves. Tear down any mountain I’ve tried to build on pride—and teach me to trust the One You are building on grace. Even if it takes longer. Even if it feels hidden. Because Your Kingdom doesn’t crumble. And I want to stand—forever—on the mountain You alone can raise.

Amen.