Dave Miller's 2024 Bible Reading Challenge

Today's Readings -  Isaiah 11-12, 1 Corinthians 3, Psalm 103:10–16, Proverbs 21:24–25 Devotional - Bickering Babies  My precious grandchildren have a habit of getting into fights and throwing fits when they play together or with their cousins. They fight over toys. They grab and get upset. That is the nature of small children. They bicker. It is also the nature of toddler Christians. Unfortunately, many Christians never move beyond the toddler phase. What is it that marks a mature Christian? Is it a deep knowledge of the Bible and theology? It is a conformity to a certain set of lifestyle guidelines? Can it be measured by a level of activity in the church - leadership positions, teaching, service? Of course, each of these has its place. A knowledge of the Bible is foundational to all Christian growth. We should be conformed to Christ and live in obedience to him. We ought to be devoted to the people of God. But Paul had something else in mind when he spoke of spirit...

Today's Readings -   Isaiah 9-10, 1 Corinthians 2, Psalm 103:1–9, Proverbs 21:21–23 Devotional - Why Won't They Listen?  Why can't he understand? Why won't she listen? Have you ever beat your head against the wall wondering why someone you love can't seem to get the beauty of your faith in Jesus Christ? You share the gospel and they either just don't get it or they think it is some kind of fairy tale. To you, it is everything - Jesus is life and hope and joy. And he is very real. But for this person you love and care about, nothing seems to sink in. There is a reason for this, one that Paul explained in detail in 1 Corinthians 2. The message we share, the gospel we preach, the truth we proclaim from the Word we believe - it is "God's hidden wisdom." (Verse 7) We are not talking about some kind of gnostic secret only known to the initiated. This wisdom has been publicly proclaimed and it is clearly revealed in the Scriptures. But God reveals these ...

Today's Readings -  Isaiah 7-8, 1 Corinthians 1:18–31, Psalm 102:24–28, Proverbs 21:19–20 Devotional - Not Many Wise... Wouldn't it be great if LeBron James got saved? Or Angelina Jolie? Or Derek Jeter? Or Bill Gates? (If I knew the names of the hip, young stars, I'd use them.) Somehow, it makes us feel better when the rich, the famous, the talented or the powerful come to Christ. And it would be great. But it is not the way that the kingdom of God works. Yes, God has saved some important people - politicians, celebrities, athletes, business - and has used them in his work. But that is not his usual mode of operation. He is a redeemer, not a talent scout. God does not go around looking for the best and the brightest who can do great things to help him. God selects ordinary people and does extraordinary things through them - by his grace and for his glory. In one of my favorite passages of Scripture, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, and it spells out exactly who God chooses for his ...

Today's Readings -  Isaiah 6, 1 Corinthians 1:1–17, Psalm 102:17–23, Proverbs 21:16–18 Devotional - "Under Construction"  Paul started a lot of churches. He had great churches like Philippi and Ephesus that brought him constant joy, demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit and a passion for the gospel. He had the Bereans who searched the Scriptures to see if what he preached was true. He started churches in Thessalonica, Galatia and all over the Roman world. Each one was important and precious to him. And then there was Corinth, the dysfunctional family of God. We can deduce that Paul wrote 4 letters to Corinth, two in addition to two we have in the New Testament. One he referred to as his "painful letter" - which is amazing because 1 and 2 Corinthians were hardly Hallmark Cards. But in his greeting, which opened the letter of 1 Corinthians, Paul made some amazing statements about the Corinthian church. I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God giv...

Today's Readings -  Isaiah 4-5, Romans 16, Psalm 102:10–16, Proverbs 21:14–15 Devotional - The Moral Negative  We live in a culture that is a moral negative.   I am not talking about “negativity,” the bogie-man of the new age.   Actually, I am convinced negativity can be honorable.  Of God’s ten laws, eight of them are stated in the negative.  “Thou shalt not.”  That is an 80% negativity rate.  Flawed human beings need limits to inhibit our sinful behavior. Negativity is not all bad.  I am talking about the kind of negative you develop a picture from (back in the old days before these new-fangled digital cameras took over).  On the photographic negative, dark colors appear as light and light looks dark.  The image is reversed.  A moral negative exists when right and wrong, good and bad, moral light and dark are reversed.  There have always been people with morally negative consciences.  The culture of the moral n...

Today's Readings -  Isaiah 1-3, Romans 15, Psalm 102:1–9, Proverbs 21:11–13 Devotional - It's NOT about Me?  The words seem kinda strange to our modern ears. Each one of us must please his neighbor his good, to build him up. For even the Messiah did not please Himself. (Romans 15:2-3) Wait a minute! I thought I was always supposed to live to please myself. Isn't that what we are told? God's word confronts the selfishness and vanity of our world's commonly accepted teachings. When we are bought with the price of Christ's blood we lose the right of self-determination, of self-centeredness, of living to please ourselves above all. First and foremost, we must live to please the Father in heaven. Our lives are for his glory. He is the audience of our lives and we must seek his applause and his alone. We do not live to please ourselves. In that sense, we do not even live to please others. The applause and appreciation of man is a fickle thing. We live for God's g...

Today's Readings -  Song of Songs 7-8, Romans 14, Psalm 101:5–8, Proverbs 21:9–10 Devotional - Sabbaths, Diets, and One Lord  We tend to want everything spelled out black and white. Right and wrong. Good and bad. Acceptable and unacceptable. But there are not clear biblical mandates for every activity, every decision we have to make. But not in real life, Even for the committed Christian there are gray areas. Paul addresses those in Romans 14. Are there dietary laws that a Christian should follow?  Ought we to observe Sabbath days?  In other passages, Paul discusses whether a Christian ought to eat meat that had been previously sacrificed to an idol god.  We still argue today over what Christians should eat or drink, whether we should observe a sabbath day and other related questions. We do not struggle with the topic of meat sacrificed to idols, but we face many similar issues - how much can we enjoy things in this world without becoming of this world and ...

Today's Readings -  Song of Songs 5-6, Romans 13, Psalm 101:1–4, Proverbs 21:6–8 Devotional - In a Pagan World  It is easy to believe that there has never been a time when the world was as evil as it is today or where our political leaders were as corrupt and depraved. Actually, as bad as we think things are they are not nearly as bad for us as the conditions the early church lived under. They lived in a truly pagan culture that often overtly and forcefully persecuted them. They were outsiders, weirdos, outcasts - hated by many and tolerated by a few. We have far more influence, even in this depraved American culture, than the early church had in their world. But to the church in Rome, to the church in the capital of the empire, where Caesar's throne was, where immorality, perversion, and corruption abounded, Paul wrote these words, Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been institut...

Today's Readings -   Song of Songs 3-4, Romans 12, Psalm 100, Proverbs 21:4–5 Devotional - Love So Amazing Romans 1-11 is all about the amazing salvation God won for us through the work of Christ on the cross - the righteousness that he achieved that becomes ours through faith, not by works. Romans 1-3 plumbs the depths of human sin and concludes that there is no hope of righteousness for anyone - Jew or Gentile - by their own works. We are all under sin and facing God's just judgment. But starting in the middle of chapter 3 and going through chapter 5 he details the glories of our justification, how God demonstrated his love for us in the death of Christ and how his righteousness comes to us through faith. In chapters 6-8 the effects of a righteousness received by faith on the life of the one who receives it. It is a glorious life free of slavery to sin and the condemnation it brings, one in which we are more than conquerors over all of that which comes against us. Finally, R...

Today's Readings -  Song of Songs 1-2, Romans 11:11–36, Psalm 99, Proverbs 21:1–3 Devotional - When I Stumble Israel was given the Law of God and called to obey it. They were chosen as God's people so that they would bring a blessing to the world. But they failed in every way - time and time again. They departed from God and delved into idolatry and wickedness. Once in a while, God would bring them back in revival, but soon after whoever led the people back to God was gone, they wandered back into sin. If ever God was going to give up on someone, to turn his back once and for all on them, it would have been Israel. They deserved it. They were unfaithful far more than they were obedient. They tested God's patience beyond what anybody could be expected to endure. But God never gave up on his people. Romans 11 examines the faithfulness of God. In verse 11 Paul asks a question. So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! There was no way that God was...

Today's Readings -  Ecclesiastes 11-12, Romans 11:1–10, Psalm 98, Proverbs 20:29–30 Devotional - Eternally Faithful Israel was given the Law of God and called to obey it. They were chosen as God's people so that they would bring a blessing to the world. But they failed in every way - time and time again. They departed from God and delved into idolatry and wickedness. Once in a while, God would bring them back in revival, but soon after whoever led the people back to God was gone, they wandered back into sin. If ever God was going to give up on someone, to turn his back once and for all on them, it would have been Israel. They deserved it. They were unfaithful far more than they were obedient. They tested God's patience beyond what anybody could be expected to endure. But God never gave up on his people. Romans 11 examines the faithfulness of God. In verse 11 Paul asks a question. So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! There was no way that G...

Today's Readings -  Ecclesiastes 9-10, Romans 9:30–10:21, Psalm 97:8–12, Proverbs 20:26–28 Devotional - Cynical Solomon What is Solomon's problem? In Proverbs, Solomon sets forth clear teachings of wisdom, explaining that life is choices and choices have consequences and that the path to wise living is to make wise choices that bring God's blessing. Proverbs has its dark moments, but it is encouraging and positive about what happens to the man or woman who walks in God's will. It is strange, then, to see pessimism and even cynicism in the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon now catalogs the things that he has observed going wrong in the world. In Ecclesiastes 9:3, he laments the fact that everyone faces the same fate - both good and evil. We all die. In verse 11, he catalogs some of the inequities and injustices in the world. Bad "luck" seems to happen to people who deserve better. In verse 12 he describes how life sometimes "traps" people in evil situati...

Today's Readings -  Ecclesiastes 7-8, Romans 9:1–29, Psalm 97:1–7, Proverbs 20:24–25 Devotional - I Am Clay Sometimes, I just need to remember who I am, and who God is. According to Romans 9:21 I am clay. God is the potter. The clay does not determine his own future, his own shape, or his own use. The Potter decides that. He shapes the clay according to his wishes. He molds it into what he wants it to be and then makes use of it according to his desires. I am the clay. Too often, I try to determine my own shape or give advice and direction to the Potter on what he should do. Make me like this. Make me like that. Sometimes, I even act as if I can shape myself. Can you imagine that? Clay trying to mold itself, shape its own existence? It is ridiculous. Romans 9 is a difficult passage with lots of heavy truths that theologians argue over and will continue to argue over as long as the Lord tarries. One devotional does not provide an opportunity to weigh in on these deeps truths. I...

Today's Readings -  Ecclesiastes 5-6, Romans 8:18–39, Psalm 96:7–13, Proverbs 20:21–23 Devotional - Worth It All  All of God's Word is inspired, inerrant, God-breathed and useful to teach, correct, and train us in righteousness. It's all God's and it's all good. But there are still certain mountaintops among the passages of God's Word. If there is a Mt. Everest in the Bible, it is Romans 8. Starting with the affirmation that there is no condemnation in Christ, through the promise that all things work for the good of those who love him, and ending with the promise that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. We could do a year of daily devotions from this passage and not exhaust its glories. Today, though, I'd like to focus on one of my favorite verses. I've had some challenges and frustrations in my life recently, but nothing I've experienced compares to the suffering, hardship, and persecution that was a daily reality in the life of the Ap...

Today's Readings -  Ecclesiastes 3-4, Romans 8:1–17, Psalm 96:1–6, Proverbs 20:19–20 Devotional - NO Condemnation There will be a fearful day, spoken of in Revelation, when the sinners of all time gather before the Great White Throne of God and receive their judgment; their just condemnation for all the sins they have committed. The wages of sin is death and that will be payday. Those who have died in their sins will be cast in the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels to receive the punishment their sins deserve. It is horrible to even imagine this, but the God of Heaven is holy and the day of judgment is real. But there is one bit of good news for me. I won't be there! Well, at least I won't be on the receiving end of the fateful words, "Depart from me, you who are cursed..." I will be standing with my Savior, already transformed into his image and with nothing facing me but an eternity of glory. Why? Because of Jesus Christ. Romans 8:1-2 makes thi...

Today's Readings -  Ecclesiastes 1-2, Romans 7, Psalm 95, Proverbs 20:16–18 Devotional - EneME Hey, who has been reading my diary? That's not right!  Ever felt that way when you were listening to a preacher and suddenly it's like he is talking directly to you; like he knows your heart and life? That's how I feel when I read Romans 7, especially verses 13-24. (NOTE: Theologians debate this passage as to who Paul is talking about - many doubt that some of Paul's statements could apply to the redeemed. That is wrong to me. Every Christian I've ever known is both redeemed AND struggling - just like Paul's testimony here. Sometimes theologians perhaps theologize too much for their own good?) In those verses, Paul describes the inner struggle that Christians go through between the work of God's Spirit within them, drawing them toward righteousness and holiness and the power of the sinful flesh that remains in each of us. Verses 22-23 say,  For I delight in th...

Today's Readings -  Job 41-42, Romans 6, Psalm 94:20–23, Proverbs 20:14–15 Devotional - Free to Sin, Right?  I've been saved by grace so it really doesn't matter if I sin, right? Forgiving my sin brings glory to God, so I might as well sin so that he can be glorified in forgiving me, right? We aren't under the Old Testament Law anymore, right? So I can live any way that I please! It is amazing how many ways people have found through the years to distort and pervert the teaching of the greatest truth ever - salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. In Romans 6, Paul begins of his teaching on "righteousness by faith" that would continue through chapter 7, dealing with the common objections to the teaching and excuses people might give for living shoddy lives after receiving God's grace. His basic premise, in Romans 6:1-14, is that the idea of sinning as a result of grace is just ridiculous when you examine the life that God saved us for. He summariz...

Today's Readings -  Job 39-40, Romans 5, Psalm 94:13–19, Proverbs 20:11–13 Devotional - While Still a Sinner I was out working in the yard and I needed badly to get cleaned up. There was my shower - hot water, shampoo, soap - all the things I needed. If only I could find a way to get myself clean enough to be worthy of getting into the shower. It was so clean I just wasn't sure if I would ever find a way to work my way up to shower-readiness. Absurd, right? You don't clean up to get into the shower, you get in the shower to clean up. We instinctively know that when it comes to getting clean. But when it comes to life and to our relationship with God, we revert to the same absurdity. "One of these days I'm gonna clean up my life, start going to church, and get my life right with God."  We have a fundamental tendency to believe that our relationship with God is based on what we do, on our activity and merit. We have to do enough, be enough, become enough to earn...

Today's Reading s -  Job 37-38, Romans 4, Psalm 94:6–12, Proverbs 20:9–10 Devotional - You Can't Handle God's Job! We live in a seriously messed up world. Sin. Perversion. Racism. A justice system that is often a travesty. War and terrorism. It is a sad, sick, sorrowful world that our sin and rebellion against God has created. And in the middle of this, many ask the question, "Where is God?" Why does he allow this to happen? Why does he permit that injustice? This tragedy? Why do the evil prosper and the righteous suffer? This world defies explanation. But sometimes there is an even more personal question we ask. "Where were you, God, when I needed you?" Why did you stop this? Why did you let that happen? We know that God is both sovereign and good, but our circumstances often make it appear impossible for both to be true. These were the kinds of questions Job was asking throughout his story. After God allowed Satan to take away everything precious in Jo...