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"Grace in the Darkness" March 27 Readings: 2 Samuel 13-15, Psalm 58, 86, 122

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   2 Samuel 13-15, Psalm 58, 86, 122 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Having sinned and beautifully repented, David was restored in his relationship with God. But that did not protect him from the basic rule of life. "You reap what you sow." He sowed sin into his family and reaped a terrible harvest. A son raped a half-sister, and another son murdered the offender. That son rebelled against David and almost overthrew his kingdom. Forgiveness is complete and immediate, but it never shields us from consequences. David's house...
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"Sin's Horror" March 26 Readings: 2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Chronicles 20, Psalm 32, 51

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Chronicles 20, Psalm 32, 51 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Today's reading is well-known. David and Bathsheba. A good man does a bad thing. Books could be (and have been) written about this story. The repentance in Psalm 51 is powerful and exemplary. Daily Devotional:  Sin's Horror 2 Samuel 11 is the turning point of the book. In chapters 1-10, David experiences one blessing and one victory after another. From chapter 12 on, David's life is filled with heartbreak, challenges, and tragedy in both ...
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"Why, God, Why?" March 25 Readings: Psalm 65-67, 69-70

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Psalm 65-67, 69-70 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     The Psalms are "worldly" - in the best sense. They are the effort of the Psalmist (David and others) to put the events of this world into a divine perspective. The writer looks at his life's events and asks what God is doing. Daily Devotional:   Why, God, Why? Why did God let that happen? It is one of the most frustrating questions people ask because it is one for which I seldom have an answer. I don't understand the glory of God, nor do I have a playbook...
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"Humbly Confident" March 24 Readings: 2 Samuel 10, 1 Chronicles 19, Psalm 20, 60, 75

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :     2 Samuel 10, 1 Chronicles 19, Psalm 20, 60, 75 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     The passages in 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles recount more of David's victories, leading up to, in 2 Samuel, his fall into sin. The Psalms we read today all deal with those victories and explain that they come by the power of God. Two key passages in these Psalms for our meditation. Psalm 20:7-8. Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and sta...
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"Victory after Victory" March 23 Readings: 2 Samuel 8-9, 1 Chronicles 18, Psalm 53

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   2 Samuel 8-9, 1 Chronicles 18, Psalm 53 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Few books of the Bible are as easily and purposefully outlined as 2 Samuel. In the first ten chapters of the book, David experiences one victory after another. Chapter 8 here recounts several of these. David is walking in obedience to God and under his daily blessing and protection. In chapter 11, David spies Bathsheba and embraces sin. From that point on, 2 Samuel records one struggle after another in David's life. Even though he repented, the...
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"My Strength and Shield" March 22 Readings: Psalms 25, 28, 33, 36, 39

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Psalms 25, 28, 33, 36, 39 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     More Psalms of David, calling out to God. David's songs express his heart, his emotions - everything he is going through directly to God. When life overwhelmed him, he did not complain to others; he took his pain and hurt to the source of healing, the Creator God who loved him.  Daily Devotional:   My Strength and Shield Two things come to mind when you consider the life of David, the Psalmist. First, from the moment he was accosted by and ano...
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"God Turns the Tables" March 21 Readings: 2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 17

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  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   2 Samuel 7, 1 Chronicles 17 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     There are four great covenants in the Old Testament. The Noahic covenant was made after the flood, when God set the rainbow as a sign of his promise not to flood the earth in his wrath ever again. The Abrahamic covenant gave Israel the land, promised them descendants, and ensured God's blessings until the end of time. The Mosaic covenant, based on the Ten Commandments, obligated Israel to follow God's law to receive his daily blessings. And now, the Davidic Cov...
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