Dave Miller's 2024 Bible Reading Challenge

Today's Readings -  Joshua 5-6, Luke 4:16–44, Psalm 40:7–13, Proverbs 10:3-4 Devotional - Rahab There is so much in Joshua 5 and 6 that it worth our reflection. There is Joshua's meeting with the Commander of the Lord's Army. Joshua sees this man with a drawn sword and hopes he is a friend, not an enemy. "Whose side are you on, ours or theirs?" he asks. The Commander says, essentially, "I'm not here to pick sides but to take charge." Joshua followed the Lord and won the battle. Of course, there is the story of faith in the conquering of Jericho. God's plan of attack made no sense - marching around the city once a day for six days, then seven times on the seventh day. But Joshua learned that the key was not the greatness of his plan but simple obedience to God. When Israel followed God's plan, he brought the walls down and gave them the victory. But I want to focus on the story, told in Joshua 6:22-25, of one woman from Jericho. For 3500 years...

Today's Readings -  Joshua 3-4, Luke 4:1–15, Psalm 40:1–6, Proverbs 10:1-2 Devotional - Remember We like to say that "Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship." I understand what people mean when they say this, but it is really not true. Yes, the bedrock of our faith is a personal relationship with God through the work of Christ on the cross, but we do engage in many religious elements - and there is a very good reason for that! God gave rituals to his people to help us, to remind us of important things. Rituals were never the problem - that came when people simply repeated the rituals without thinking of what they meant. Empty ritual. Religion is not the problem, but empty religion. Every time you observe the Lord's Supper, or even go to church, you are performing rituals that are religious, but are destined to remind you of important works of God. God gave Israel a system of sacrifices, feasts, and other rituals to remind them of his goodness. At tim...

Today's Readings -  Joshua 1-2, Luke 3:23–38, Psalm 39:7–13, Proverbs 9:17-18 Devotional - Success As much as we talk about success in America today, and in American religion, it is not a word that appears often in the Scriptures. Many have tried to twist the Bible to make it into a manual for earthly success - helping me get all I want and all I need in this world. The Bible is about the outworking of God's glorious purposes in this world, not about how we can accomplish our purposes. But there is one instruction, given to Joshua as he assumed leadership of Israel, that spelled out exactly how he could be successful in the job God assigned to him. And, wow, did he ever need that help! Joshua was given a huge assignment from God. He had to follow Moses, a man who rivals King David, Elijah and the Apostle Paul as among the great heroes of the Bible (not counting Jesus - he's the real hero of every page). Following a man like Moses was going to be tough. We all know that Isr...

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 33-34, Luke 3:1–22, Psalm 39:1-6, Proverbs 9:13-16 Devotional - It's Not about Me Our world has fallen prey to the Andy Warhol concept that everyone will have his "15 minutes of fame" and many people live for that - to "go viral," to achieve fame even if it is for something shameful or disgusting. Fame is now our measure of significance. But John the Baptist took that idea and slapped it upside the head...hard. He became famous but he never sought it. He never did a single thing to make himself famous and he never served fame - he served God. He was a humble man, dressing simply and living in the wilderness. He preached a hard message, not one that people wanted hear. The key to a false prophet's message was always this - he told people what they wanted to hear. "You are great just the way you are - don't ever change." "God will never judge sin because he loves us too much." But John proclaimed tru...

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 31-32, Luke 2:22–52, Psalm 38:16–22, Proverbs 9:11-12 Devotional - Sharp Words Words are like knives; the cut deep and leave gaping wounds in our hearts. Maybe it was a parent who poured out their anger and frustration on their children with cruel words. Perhaps a friend you thought would stand with you whose words slice deep instead. Maybe someone finds a flaw, a weakness, a struggle and uses it to cut you up; or perhaps they make up their dagger-words with no regard to truth. But what all of us have in common is that we have been wounded by words from friends, family, fellow-believers, and others. Whoever made up the statement "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me," had lost touch with all reality. From the moment that David came to the palace, from the time he stood toe to toe with Goliath, David was the subject of lies, insults, betrayal and evil plots. Men whom he had never wronged determined to destroy hi...

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 29-30, Luke 2:1–21, Psalm 38:9–15, Proverbs 9:10       Devotional - Roots of Sin  I have these weeds in my back yard - no idea what they are called. They produce wide prickly leaves and if I let them grow up they will sprout these purple flowers shaped in a ball. If it sounds pretty, it's not. They are a pain. They are hard to kill and no matter how many times I kill them these evil things just come right back. To kill weeds, you have to kill the roots. If you just mow them or pull the tops off, they will come right back. Unless you get the roots deep out of the ground, they are just going to come back again and again. And you need to prevent the seeds from getting established and spreading. God gave a warning to Israel that built upon this concept, in Deuteronomy 29:18. Be sure there is no root among you bearing poisonous and bitter fruit. He was warning them of the danger of leaving behind their loyalty to God, turning the...

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 27-28, Luke 1:57–80, Psalm 38:1–8, Proverbs 9:7-9 Devotional - Life Is Choices Life is a journey in the valley between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal. In Deuteronomy 27, Moses gave instructions to Israel for a ceremony that would take place after they had conquered the land of Canaan. They were to go to the valley between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim. Half of the people would stand on Mt. Gerizim and half on Mt. Ebal. The Levites would stand between them and call out the blessings that would come from obedience to God’s Law and the curses that would come from disobedience. Gerizim represented the blessing of God and Ebal represented the discipline of God against disobedience. It was a moment of choice, of decision. Would Israel walk in the ways of God and experience all the blessings that he would give them because of that; the positive consequences of their choices? Or would Israel wander from God’s Word and go their own way? Would t...

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 25-26, Luke 1:39–56, Psalm 37:36–40, Proverbs 9:4-6 Devotional - Seeds of Blessing Proverbs defines the life of blessing which comes when we obey God and walk in his ways. Salvation is a gift of God's grace given to those who cannot pay for it or earn it. But blessings come when, by the power of the Spirit dwelling within, we walk in obedience to God. Those who obey God learn that fundamental principle of wisdom, "You reap what you sow." Those who would reap the blessings of God must sow the seeds of obedience and faith. Only when you sow the right seeds do you reap the harvest of blessing God has for you. There are two seeds that I would identify in this passage, two seeds that must be sown to reap the blessings of God. In Proverbs 9, verses 4 through 9 (we are borrowing from tomorrow's reading today) we see two very important seeds that we must sow if we want to reap the harvest of blessing in our lives.  The Seed of Repentance (P...

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 23-24, Luke 1:26–38, Psalm 37:29–35, Proverbs 9:1-3   Devotional - Secret of Her Success Imagine this young girl in Nazareth going about her day, as she had every other day, with no expectation that her life would be anything but normal and dull. Her greatest hope was that she might raise a family and experience a little joy along the way. Then, one day, it all changed dramatically. The archangel Gabriel appeared to her and gave her some important news. She was going to give birth to the Son of God, the Messiah, long-anticipated by Israel.  Gabriel described this baby in glowing terms, in Luke 1:32-33.  "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary was boggled by all of this. That is not hard to imagine, is it? She asked a simpl...

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 21-22, Luke 1:1–25, Psalm 37:22–28, Proverbs 8:35-36 Devotional - Never Forsaken I first heard the phrase in a song by Dallas Holm and Praise so many years ago. "I've never seen the righteous forsaken, or their seed begging for bread." I did not realize at the time that it was a Scripture verse, Psalm 37:25. I have been young, and now am old,   yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken   or his children begging for bread.  Two thousand years ago, God sent his Son to the cross to pay the debt for my sins, so that I could be forgiven, redeemed, justified, and given eternal life. That ought to be enough, don't you think? After doing that for me, God ought never to have to do another thing for me as long as I live to demonstrate his love or to earn my gratitude. And yet, throughout the years, he has been amazingly faithful. Though I have been so shaky, so unfaithful, so half-hearted in my devotion and service to him, he has nev...

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 19-20, Mark 16, Psalm 37:15–21, Proverbs 8:34 Devotional - He Is Risen! Consider the sadness the three ladies felt as they made their way to the tomb. Jesus had more than just the Twelve following him; there were several women who had joined his cause and were devoted to him. These were some of that group. The two Marys and Salome headed to the tomb early on Sunday morning, likely to do what they had not been able to do after Jesus' death - clean and prepare Jesus' body for his burial. They had a pure and holy love for him and were determined to perform this one last act of service to the One for whom they grieved. But they got to the tomb and something was not right. The stone was gone and no one was there guarding it. They walked into the tomb and saw a young man in a white robe sitting on a stone slab to the right. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here! (Mark 16:6) Everything was changed. Jesus had do...

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 17-18, Mark 15:21–47, Psalm 37:8–14, Proverbs 8:32-33 Devotional - Learning Wisdom Proverbs is a unique book within the Scriptures. It's not primarily about theology or eternity, but about practical issues of living life here on earth. It is a book of wisdom from Solomon to his sons to teach them how to honor God, how to make wise choices and how to lead Israel well (they were, of course, the princes of the land). There are instructions about the tongue, about handling money, and a plethora of warnings about the dangers of sexual immorality.  Chapter 8 is a summary and recapitulation of the well-organized and systematic teachings of wisdom in chapters 1 through 7. In our reading, verses 22-23, he shares a few of the keys to the life of wisdom, dropping some hints that we need to heed.  And now, O sons, listen to me:     blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise,     and do...

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 15-16, Mark 15:1–20, Psalm 37:1–7, Proverbs 8:30-31 Devotional - I Am Barabbas The story of the crucifixion of Christ is disgusting, sorrowful, enrapturing and transformational, all at once. But it is sometimes hard to find my place in the story. I've had my moments where I cowered as Peter did, afraid of the consequences of standing for my Lord. I'm not sure I've had a Judas moment, but there are times when my silence may have been a betrayal of sorts. The soldiers and the crowds disgust me, but I also must admit regarding the sin of my own heart that nothing is beyond the reach of my wickedness. One day, I will be like Christ because of the work God has done in my life, but today is not that die.  So, who am I in the story of the Cross? There is one character most like me, one with whom I identify more than any other.  I am Barabbas.  No, I'm not a criminal or a political revolutionary or whatever it is that he was. But there a...

Today's Readings -   Deuteronomy 13-14, Mark 14:51–72, Psalm 36:7–12, Proverbs 8:28-29 Devotional - Prone to Wander As of February, I have been a believer for 55 years. God has done a lot in my life over those five decades and I hope he has used me in his work. But the thing that sticks out as I think back on half a century as a Christian is how often, how shamefully, how consistently I have failed the Lord. I've had other priorities, let myself get focused on other things, turned my heart away from him, loved the things of this world - the list could go on and on. Fortunately, God is so much more faithful to me than I am to him! Like hymn-writer Robert Robinson (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing), I rely on the grace and mercy of God daily. O to grace how great a debtor Daily I'm constrained to be. Let Thy goodness, like a fetter Bind my wandering heart to Thee.   The next words express the heart of my problem, the problem of my heart. Prone to wander, Lord I feel it....

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 11-12, Mark 14:26–50, Psalm 36:1–6, Proverbs 8:26-27 Devotional - He Earned My Love Why should I obey God? Why should I love him? Why should I turn my back on my own desires, my own ambitions, my own will, and give myself wholly and completely to God? The Israelites asked themselves this question repeatedly. Why should we love and serve the Lord? Why can't we be like all the nations around us? God answered this question clearly in Deuteronomy 11. The chapter begins with a call to love God and to demonstrate that love through obedience. True love for God is evidenced by a submissive, obedient heart. “Therefore, love the Lord your God and always keep His mandate and His statutes, ordinances, and commands." Deuteronomy 11:1 Moses then explains clearly why Israel was obligated to love God.  His greatness, strong hand, and outstretched arm; His signs and the works He did in Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt and all his land; what He did to Eg...

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 9-10, Mark 14:1–25, Psalm 35:21–28, Proverbs 8:24-25 Devotional - Amazing Grace Why did God call Israel to be his own? Was it because they were better than other nations because their armies were stronger or their people smarter? Were they just simply more righteous, more godly than other nations? God answers that question in no uncertain terms in Deuteronomy 9:1-6. He begins the passage with a wonderful promise - that he was going to give them the land, chasing the powerful enemies out. But understand that today the Lord your God will cross over ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will devastate and subdue them before you. You will drive them out and destroy them swiftly, as the Lord has told you. Deuteronomy 9:3 But then he gave Israel a warning.  When the Lord your God drives them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘The Lord brought me in to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.’ Deuteronomy 9:4 Do not fal...

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 7-8, Mark 13:24–37, Psalm 35:14–20, Proverbs 8:22-23 Devotional - Signs of the Times Sioux City has had a wild winter. After some strangely warm days in January, we had the most brutally cold February that most of us can remember, with winds that drove windchills down and nearly carried us all off to Oz. That is life in the frozen north. But one thing we know, spring is on the way. The flowers will bud, the world will turn green, the temps will rise. Even though it's cold and there is snow on the ground, there are signs of spring all around. Jesus made a similar observation about the fig trees of Israel in Mark 13:28. From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. The knowledgeable person can see from the signs he reads on the branches and leaves of the fig tree that summer is near. In the next verse (29), Jesus makes it clear what he is saying.  So also,...

Today's Readings -  Deuteronomy 5-6, Mark 13:1–23, Psalm 35:7–13, Proverbs 8:19-21 Devotional - All My Heart Deuteronomy 6 is one of the foundational passages of the Old Testament. It begins with the "Shema Y'israel" (Hear, O Israel), in 6:4 and follows with what Jesus identified as the greatest commandment,  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”  Then in the next few chapters, Israel is told how to live our that devotion, commanded to eschew idolatry of any form, to trust God against all enemies who would try to keep them from the work of God and to expect that the God who saved them from Egypt would establish them in the Promised Land.  But the passage roots in the first command, to love God with all of our heart and soul and might. Nothing is to come between us and our devotion to God – the key in all of our struggles in life.  It is easy to become obsessed with the spiritual battles we fa...