Dave Miller's 2024 Bible Reading Challenge

Today's Readings -  1 Samuel 19-20, Luke 19:1–27, Psalm 55:1–4, Proverbs 12:1-2 Devotional - True Friends I sometimes wonder how David kept his sanity. He was a man after God's heart, but throughout his life, he had one person after another coming after him for no good reason. Saul, consumed with jealousy, sought to destroy David. He tried to kill him more than once. But through all of this David just carried on in the Lord's power. There are a number of reasons for this, but one of the main reasons was a man named Jonathan. He was Saul's son but he was also David's friend. Their bond was deep - the kind of friendship we all need. All we need to get through life is the presence and power of God. If everyone turns away from us we can depend on our "friend who sticks closer than a brother" to be there to bear us up. He's all we need. But navigating life's trials is much easier when you have a friend like David's. Jonathan helped him face the hur...

Today's Readings -  1 Samuel 17-18, Luke 18:31–43, Psalm 54, Proverbs 11:29-31 Devotional - Arm's Length Ministry Z accheus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he... It's one of the stories that we church kids heard in Sunday School, about the little guy who climbed the tree to see Jesus. As is often the case, our familiarity with stories like this often causes us to miss the bigger picture. The heart and soul of this story is the nature of the kingdom of God and the nature of Jesus Christ's mission in this world. He was locked in a constant battle with the religious leaders who had, by this time, decided he had to go and were plotting his demise. They disdained him for many reasons. But he was not focusing on them, not trying to appeal to them. They were not the primary targets of his message. Jesus came for the lost sheep of Israel, those broken by sin. He came for Zaccheus, a tax collector. A cheater. A thief. Someone everyone else hated, rejected, and avo...

Today's Readings -  1 Samuel 15-16, Luke 18:1-30, Psalm 53, Proverbs 11:27-29 Devotional - Prayer-ables In Luke 18:1-14 Jesus tells two "prayer-ables." Sorry, is that too corny? Okay, parables about prayer? These stories tell remind us of some important lessons about prayer. The first parable, in verses 1-8, tells the story of a hardhearted judge who neither feared God nor respected people. He didn't care a bit about the people whose cases he heard. There was a widow who had been wronged by another but she could not get this man to listen to her case. But she would not let him be. Day and night she harassed him, begging for justice. Finally, because he was annoyed with her pestering, he listened to her plea and gave her what she asked for. Of course, our God is not cruel or hard-hearted. He is kind and loving; a judge who hears our prayers willingly. But the message of this parable is plain. If even a cold-hearted judge is moved by persistent entreaties, will not our...

Today's Readings -   1 Samuel 13-14, Luke 17:20–37, Psalm 52, Proverbs 11:25-26 Devotional - No Thought to God  In Luke 17:20, the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was going to commence. Of course, they shared the common belief that the kingdom of God was the resurrection and expansion of the Old Testament Jewish theocracy. They were looking to figure out when Jesus was going to raise his army and get going chasing the Romans from Israel.  Jesus made it clear to him that the kingdom he had come to build was not physical, political or military (that would come at his second appearing). Jesus was building a kingdom of the heart, a kingdom that was among them and within them.  But then Jesus gave some indications about what life would be like in this world when the end did come when he came a second time to establish his earthly kingdom. He draws comparisons to two times in the past.  First, he says that the last days would be "as it wa...

Today's Readings -  1 Samuel 11-12, Luke 17:1–19, Psalm 51:15–19, Proverbs 11:23-24 Devotional - Nine? Or One?  In one of the better-known stories of the life of Jesus, one that we tell our children often, Luke 17:11-19 records the story of Jesus healing ten lepers. Each of them returns to their lives rejoicing in the fact that they are no longer exiled and ostracized from home and family. It is my guess that each of them was immensely grateful to the one who had healed them. But only one of them bothered to take the time to go back to Jesus and actually express that thanksgiving. The other nine were not evil, ungrateful or thoughtless jerks. They just forgot to take the time to tell the Healer how thankful they were to be healed. I'm guessing they were so excited to go home and tell their families the good news that they just forgot. But whatever the reason. They forgot. They did not return to say thank you to the Savior. That is me, far too often. I have a fe...

Today's Readings -  1 Samuel 9-10, Luke 16, Psalm 51:8–14, Proverbs 11:21-22     Devotional - Anointed Failure I remember eavesdropping on a conversation between my dad and another pastor, in which they were discussing how churches find pastors. Among Baptists, the church chooses its own leader, forming a search committee, fielding resumes, examining recommendations and finally bringing a candidate to the church. In the other pastor's denomination, the district superintendent (whatever his official title was) would select pastors and assign them to churches. My dad asserted that our system had to be the worst possible system. Our friend disagreed. His denomination's system had to be worse. Selecting leaders for God's people has always been tricky. 1 Samuel 9-12 (today's reading and tomorrow's) tells the story of the selection of Saul as the first king of Israel. He was everything the world wants in a leader - impressive, charismatic, appealing. The nation that ...

Today's Readings -  1 Samuel 7-8, Luke 15:11–32, Psalm 51:1–7, Proverbs 11:19-20 Devotional - Against You Only  "You are the man." That is what Nathan said to David when he confronted him over his adultery with Bathsheba and his arranging of her husband Uriah's death. And following all this serious sin, David even became self-righteous in his condemnation of others. Nathan told him the story about the man who, in spite of having many sheep, stole his neighbor's only sheep. David was incensed at this injustice until Nathan pointed the finger at him. At that moment, the reality of his sin came crashing down on him and all of his arrogance and artifice was stripped away. That's when he wrote the most beautiful song of repentance ever, Psalm 51. In Psalm 51:1, David is no longer sitting in judgment on others but is calling out for God's mercy and grace, knowing he deserves nothing from God. Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love; according to ...

Today's Readings -  1 Samuel 5-6, Luke 15:1–10, Psalm 50:18–23, Proverbs 11:17-18 Devotional - Don't Mess with God  It was a time of tragedy and sadness in Israel, but it is a glorious, even hilarious story - one of those grand moments in Scripture in which Yahweh's superiority is clearly demonstrated. Unless, of course, you are a Philistine - then you won't like this story at all. Yesterday's reading was tragic as the glory departed from Israel. Not only did Eli and his sons die, but the worst thing imaginable happened. The Ark of God fell into the hands of the enemy. That magic talisman that sinful Israel thought would guarantee them victory could not stay the hand of judgment. They tried to use God for their purposes instead of repenting of their sin and humbling themselves before him. They found that we do not get to dictate the terms of God's work among us. He does that. When Israel refused to come to God on his terms he refused to work for them on their te...

Today's Readings -  1 Samuel 3-4, Luke 14:12–35, Psalm 50:11–17, Proverbs 11:15-16 Devotional - Faith, NOT Magic Israel couldn't figure it out. The Philistines had defeated them soundly in battle. Where was God? Why was he not delivering his people and defeating their enemies? Why had God failed them? So, they came up with a plan; one that would bring them success on the battlefield. "Let’s bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh. Then it will go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” All they had to do was get the Ark of the Covenant and bring it down to the battlefield. When they marched into the war against the Philistines with the Ark in their midst, the power of God would surely manifest itself and they would be victorious. Alas, it did not happen. In fact, it became one of the most horrible defeats Israel ever had. Over 30,000 men were killed in the battle, the sons of Eli were killed and the Ark itself was captured by the Philistines, leaving I...

Today's Readings -  1 Samuel 1-2, Luke 13:22–14:11, Psalm 50:4–10, Proverbs 11:13-14 Devotional - A Mother's Power It was one of the true low points in Israel's history, the end of the period of the Judges. Depravity, violence, immorality, and perversion abounded in the land and there seemed to be no hope that things would get better. The moral spiral only promised to worsen. Israel was idolatrous and evil, and its leaders were spiritually calloused and insensitive to the voice of God. But the fact is that when the book of Judges closed and 1 Samuel opened, Israel was half a century away from its greatest moment, the reign of David as king. When things looked like they couldn't get any worse, God had another plan, a plan of renewal and revival that would raise up his people to heights never imagined before. This is a powerful and hopeful message for any struggling mother. The early chapters of 1 Samuel record the genesis of Israel's revival. It all started with one...

Today's Readings -  Ruth 3-4, Luke 13:1–21, Psalm 50:1–3, Proverbs 11:11-12 Devotional - The Kingdom Way "If just one person is reached through our efforts, then it was all worth it!"  Ever heard that chestnut? When churches put on huge, expensive, man-hour intensive Christmas or Easter productions, when we pour massive amounts of work into projects that produce paltry results, someone is sure to trot out that phrase. And of course, there is truth there. Is there any length to which we would not go if we knew one soul would be saved? Is there any cost we would not pay to bring someone from death to life? But in Luke 13:18-21 Jesus told two parables that describe the kingdom of God in ways that are very different from the sentiment I described above. He begins by asking a question, "What is the kingdom of God like?" How do things operate when God is in charge; when he is at work? He then tells two stories to answer his question. “It’s like a mustard seed that a ...

Today's Readings -  Ruth 1-2, Luke 12:35–59, Psalm 49:11–20, Proverbs 11:9-10 Devotional - Jesus the Divider  If you listen to the popular wisdom of the day, Jesus came to earth to gather everyone into one big, giant group hug. He (to borrow a political term) a "uniter, not a divider." Anything that brings us together must be pleasing to Jesus and anything that separates us must be sinful and displeasing to him. It isn't that simple. It is true that it was the heart of Jesus that the Body of Christ would be one. He entreated the Father in John 17, pouring out his deepest desires that his disciples and those who would follow would live out the kind of unity that the Father and the Son had between themselves. It is a prayer that will only be completely fulfilled in eternity, but it is the heart of God. Jesus died to purchase ONE Body and wants us to walk in unity, in peace, in oneness. He hates when we fight, divide and fracture within the chu...

Today's Readings -  Judges 19-21, Luke 12:22–34, Psalm 49:1–10, Proverbs 11:7-8 Devotional - Wasteful Worrying There are few commandments of Scripture that I violate more regularly than Luke 12:22. Therefore I tell you, don't worry about your life. Jesus is talking specifically here about the basic needs of life - food, clothing, shelter. But the principle goes beyond that. Worry is such a common reality in my life - worry about money, about the future, about what is happening at the church, about my family, about so many things, about what people think of me and whether they like me. How many of you understand what I'm talking about when I say I sometimes walk around with this knot in the pit of my stomach? The worry-knot? And it is not just a sin, it is a complete waste. In verses 23-34, Jesus set forth some powerful thoughts about the pointlessness of worry for the children of God. First, worry demonstrates that my priorities are messed up. There is more to life than th...

Today's Readings -  Judges 17-18, Luke 12:1–21, Psalm 48:11–14, Proverbs 11:5-6 Devotional - Rich and Foolish Jesus, in Luke 12:15, issued a warning that is perhaps more needed today than it was at the moment he gave it. “Watch out and be on guard against all greed because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” Life is about a lot more than the cars we drive, the homes we live in and the money we have stashed in the bank. Paul issued dire warnings, in 1 Timothy 6, to those who would shipwreck their lives with the love of money. Perhaps he had this verse in the back of his mind. Greed causes us to live our lives going from mirage to mirage searching for water and finding only sand. Those who live for money and possessions find themselves quickly trapped in an empty and meaningless lifestyle. Jesus followed that statement with a memorable story. A man had a bumper crop and tore down his barns to build bigger ones. There is nothing wrong with being successful or havi...

Today's Readings -  Judges 15-16, Luke 11:29–54, Psalm 48:4–10, Proverbs 11:3-4 Devotional - Jesus the (Not) Peacemaker To be honest, I would not have had those fights. I'd have smoothed them over, worked them out. In Luke 11, Jesus was beginning to lower the boom a little, teaching some hard truths that people did not like to hear. And guess what? People did not like to hear it! (Duh?) They got mad. Especially the religious leaders - the Pharisees, scribes and Temple leaders. Important religious people don't often respond well when their sins are exposed publicly. In verse 37, we see Jesus challenged by a Pharisee about a picky issue - he wasn't following the ceremonial rules of Jewish leaders. How would I have responded? I probably would have said to myself, "Don't make waves. Don't make enemies. It's not a hill to die on." But Jesus took another tack. He challenged that Pharisee's heart, in verses 39-40. Now you Pharisees cleanse the outsid...

Today's Readings -  Judges 13-14, Luke 11:1–28, Psalm 48:1–3, Proverbs 11:1-2 Devotional - Kryptonite There was a Bible story cartoon series that our children loved when they were small, put out by Hanna Barbera. I was a little shocked when they released one on the story of Samson. Certainly, he is a hero of epic proportions if you ignore the parts of his story that make him a tragic failure, a cautionary tale - and certainly not a kid's story! He was an ancient Superman - the very mention of his name made the Philistines cringe - until it was found that he had Kryptonite that could lead to his undoing. Had he developed character and self-control, he might be remembered with some of the great ones of the Bible alongside Moses, David, Elijah, and others. None of them had his strength, his natural ability. But, alas, no. Samson won many great battles but he lost the one that mattered the most, the battle against the power of this own flesh. That was Samson's kryptonite - wo...

Today's Readings -  Judges 11-12, Luke 10:25–42, Psalm 47, Proverbs 10:31-32 Devotional - Mother of All Baptists Historians have argued for hundreds of years about the history of my denomination. Who were the first Baptists? From whom did we descend? I think that today's reading in Luke makes that abundantly clear. We descend from Martha, the friend of Jesus from Bethany. Luke 10:38-42 tells the story. She loved Jesus, no doubt about it and she welcomed him into her home. That's when her true Baptist-ness came to the surface. Verse 39 introduces us to her sister, one of the many women named Mary in the gospels. She sat at Jesus' feet the whole time he was there hanging on every word Jesus said. And Martha got upset. It wasn't fair! She was left in the kitchen doing all the hard work while her sister did nothing but listen to the preaching. There were styrofoam plates and cups to stack, there was coffee to make, someone had to make sure the dishes were done, the tras...

Today's Readings -  Judges 9-10, Luke 10:1–24, Psalm 46:5–11, Proverbs 10:29-30 Devotional - Count Your Blessings The seventy-two disciples of Jesus returned from their travels, having been sent out by their master and empowered by him. They were breathless with excitement on their return, rejoicing that, "Even the demons are subject to us in your name." (Luke 10:17.) Heady stuff. To be able to speak to people who are under the control of the forces of darkness, and to have those demonic beings obey your commands - that is no small thing. They were amazed and excited at the new power that they were experiencing. But Jesus wanted them to keep things in perspective. It is easy for us to see things from a skewed perspective, a human viewpoint that fails to see things as God sees them. Jesus made it clear that there was something much more important than the fact that demons fled before them. I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to ...

Today's Readings -  Judges 6-8, Luke 9:46-62, Psalm 46:1–4, Proverbs 10:27-28 Devotional - Mighty Warrior? Me?  My dad used to talk about the "divine videotapes" - speculating that in heaven we could watch replays of historical events. If that is so (I expect it isn't) I'd love to watch Gideon's face as the events around Judges 6:12 unfold.  Gideon was threshing grain in the winepress, keeping his head down. The most unlikely of heroes, he the insignificant son of an insignificant family in the large, but mostly insignificant tribe of Manasseh – he was not voted “Most Likely to Deliver Israel” during his high school years. Yet, God used him. God appeared to him and defined him not by his past or even by his present, but by what God was planning to make of him. “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Mighty warrior? There was no evidence that this was true in Gideon’s life to this point. But God tapped him on the shoulder and called him to his service, and ...