Dave Miller's 2024 Bible Reading Challenge

We are beginning our seventh year of this daily Bible Reading Challenge in  2020, and I am planning something new. We will spend the year focusing on the highlights of Scripture, taking smaller portions of Scripture so that you can spend more time focusing on, meditating on, and thinking through those passages. We will "Enter the Year with Praise," spending January looking at passages that focus on the character of God and his gracious acts on our behalf. Starting February 1 and continuing through Easter we will look at "The Eternal Story" - a survey of the story of the Bible from Creation to the Cross to Eternal Glory. We will then spend the bulk of the year in "Himalayan Heights," the high points of Scriptures. We will take deep dives into some of those highlight passages of the Bible. We will also read through several books of the Bible. We will end the year with holiday-focused Scriptures and devotionals - Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year. For tho...

Today's Readings -  Malachi 3-4, Revelation 22, Psalm 150, Proverbs 31:29–31 Devotional - Come, Lord Jesus  It's New Year's Eve. Think for a moment about what is going to be happening across our land. People are going to be going out to "have a good time." Nothing wrong with enjoying yourself, of course, but think of all the ways that people are going to be seeking happiness and fun tonight. More than a few will seek their joy from a bottle - they will look to alcohol or perhaps some form of drugs to provide them a feeling of exhilaration. Many will seek pleasure through sexual immorality. There will be wild parties and games and activities - all sorts of fun things to participate in. Some are sinful. Some are harmless. But our manic search for fun reveals the fact that we still have not grasped one of life's great truths. We spend a lot of time trying to find life, to find fun and contentment and pleasure and peace. But in Revelation 22, the last chapter of ...

Today's Readings -  Malachi 1-2, Revelation 21, Psalm 149, Proverbs 31:27–28 Devotional - Heaven  Theologians and preachers have speculated about heaven for a long time. The New Testament is clear about how we get there - we ride the coattails of the righteousness of Jesus Christ to eternal glory. None of us is worthy of heaven or fit for it. Since sin cannot dwell there, and we are all sinners, we are excluded until the blood of Christ cleanses us and the power of Christ makes us new. Clothed in the righteousness of Christ we who deserve hell can become fit for heaven. That much is clear, but what will heaven be like? On that, there is a wide divergence of opinion. The description given in Revelation 21 is not all that helpful. Look at verses 19-21. The foundations of the city wall were adorned with every kind of jewel: the first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chryso...

Today's Readings -  Zechariah 13-14, Revelation 20, Psalm 148:9–14, Proverbs 31:24–26 Devotional - When the Books Are Opened Why do people go to hell? No one wants to talk about it or think about it, but when we arrive at Revelation 20:11-15, we can no longer pretend the final judgment does not exist. There is a Great White Throne and seated on it is the Judge of all the earth. Every man and woman who has ever lived and died is brought to stand before this throne and is judged. Here is where my eschatological viewpoint comes in - I believe that the believing dead have already been raised prior to this and that all those who face this judgment are lost. It's not an issue that needs to be fought to the end, of course. But the key is that we see hints as to how the final judgment of sinners is made. John describes two different sets of books being opened. In verse 12, it says, "the books were opened." This implies that the dead are judged according to their works, and t...

Today's Readings -  Zechariah 11-12, Revelation 19, Psalm 148:1–8, Proverbs 31:22–23 Devotional - He Wins! Do you ever feel like there is no hope for the future in this world? There is nothing in sports more thrilling than a come-from-behind victory, when one team seems to have surefire victory and the team that seems destined to lose mounts a heroic effort to win. I could regale you with great Yankee victories against overwhelming odds, but I can already feel you rolling your eyes! Revelation 19 is the moment when the apparent victory of evil in this world comes crashing to a halt. Right now, the wickedness seems to be getting its way, doesn't it? The moral foundations are crumbling and people are abandoning truth and righteousness to embrace evil. Even in the church our values are more shaped by the culture of the world than the revelation of the world. I've talked to more than one skeptic who has gloated that Christianity is fading and the church is dying. Sometimes, it...

Today's Readings -  Zechariah 9-10, Revelation 18, Psalm 147:15–20, Proverbs 31:19–21 Devotional - In It, Not of It There are a lot of things in this world that I care about, perhaps too many. I have a job and a writing hobby (it is a little more than that). I'm trying to get some things set up for next year. You might know that I have moderate (?) interest in sports as the baseball hot stove is warming up and the NFL playoffs are about to start. There are politics and economic matters that garner my attention. I have the cutest grandkids in world history (we will not argue this because I am right). Yesterday, we read about "Babylon the Great" - not great in any good sense. She is the world's system of evil which stands in opposition to God and his kingdom. God works to bring that system down. In Revelation 18 we see the ultimate downfall of system as God brings her crashing to nothing. All of man's power, his wealth, his wisdom, his armies, and his greatness...

Today's Readings -  Zechariah 7-8, Revelation 17, Psalm 147:8–14, Proverbs 31:17–18 Devotional - Fallen Is Babylon Find 20 commentaries on the book of Revelation and you might find 2 dozen different explanations for  the identity of "Babylon the Great." The Roman empire was a historical favorite and so was the Roman Catholic church (still is). Some point the finger at the revived Roman Empire of the Tribulation period. In my younger years, many tried to find a way to fit America into the prophecies of the end times and some managed to make Revelation 17 apply to the good ole USA. But perhaps the best thing to do in a short (well, for me anyway) devotional is to just let Babylon represent what it often represents in Scripture - the sinful world system that stands in rebellion against God. It is an economic system that values financial gain over the true wealth of God's glory. It is a political system that seeks to establish human power and authority instead of yieldin...

Hope all of you have a VERY Merry Christmas, worshiping Christ! Today's Readings -  Zechariah 5-6, Revelation 15–16, Psalm 147:1–7, Proverbs 31:14–16 Devotional - A Psalm for Christmas MERRY CHRISTMAS! I'm going to keep this short today since you and I both have a lot to do. There are presents to open and gooses to cook (if you are the Cratchit family) and families to enjoy. Christmas has become about so many things in America. It's about Santa and elves and blockbuster movies and parties. We try at Southern Hills to keep the focus where it needs to be, on Jesus Christ, his birth, and what that really means in the long term. But let's face it, Christmas is about presents. "What do you want for Christmas?" Been to the mall? Sam's? Or, horror of horror, Walmart? We are bankrupting ourselves to buy gifts for our kids (and grandkids!). But as I read the seven verses of Psalm 147, I was reminded of a very important truth. The greatest gifts in life are not one...

Today's Readings -  Zechariah 3-4, Revelation 14, Psalm 146, Proverbs 31:12–13 Devotional - Message of the Angels  The story of Christmas is filled with angels making announcements. Now, at the end, they speak again. This time, though, the message is not one of peace on earth and goodwill, but of impending judgment. The ax hangs in the air and the final blows of God's wrath are about the fall on the earth. The end is truly near, but before God's wrath comes, Revelation 14 tells us about 3 angels who will make their way to earth to deliver the word of God. Their messages are harsh - nothing positive or encouraging there! But they give humanity a last chance to understand the truth of God. Each of these angels speaks a word of truth that we need to hear. The first angel delivers his warning in verse 7. Fear God  and give him glory,  because the hour of his judgment has come.  Worship the one who made heaven and earth,  the sea and the springs of wa...

Today's Readings -  Zechariah 1-2, Revelation 13, Psalm 145:17–21, Proverbs 31:10–11 Devotional - Embracing Evil  There are many misconceptions about the spread of evil. We fictionalize the devil and his ways, casting him as a vile monster who attacks people and drags them to hell against their will. But that is, unfortunately, not what the Bible teaches. What we learn in scripture is leaves us without excuse. Mike Bergman, a pastor in Missouri and one of my fellow-writers on SBC Voices, said this: I n Genesis, God gave us the world. We chose a tiny piece of fruit instead. In the future, God promises once again to give us the world. Each time we sin, we're saying to him: "No thanks, I'd rather have this tiny bite of fruit instead." Heirs of everything shouldn't sell it for a tiny bite of fruit that doesn't satisfy beyond the moment. What a powerful statement. Hold onto that thought as we reflect on Revelation 13. In verse 1 we are introduced to a being of...

Today's Readings -  Haggai 1-2, Revelation 12, Psalm 145:10–16, Proverbs 31:7–9 Devotional - The Curse of Misplaced Priorities As we read the little book of Haggai, we are also reading the book of Revelation. The last book of the Bible is argued about and debated, but it teaches a couple of indisputable truths. It reminds us that this world and everything in it has an expiration date and that in spite of what we may see and feel, God wins and this world will end with Jesus as Lord and evil utterly defeated. Haggai reminds us to live today with priorities that recognize the reality of those truths. It makes no sense to invest our lives in that which is doomed to destruction. If you see a house on fire, you don't run into it hide all your valuables there, do you? You remove them! You try to salvage what you can. In the same way, as Jesus said, we ought to store up treasures in heaven because whatever we invest in here on earth is going to rust, mold or burn. A youth pastor I kne...

Today's Readings -  Zephaniah 3, Revelation 10–11, Psalm 145:1–9, Proverbs 31:5–6 Devotional - Mysteries  There are some things we just are not meant to know. In Bible studies, I am often asked questions to which I have to give my most common answer. "I don't know and no one does." It doesn't help my sense of macho as a Bible teacher, I suppose, but the fact is that there is much in God's word I don't understand, will never understand, and probably am not meant to understand. We are called to trust a God we cannot fully figure out, one whose actions often boggle our minds. Revelation is one of the most argued books of the Bible, the subject of debates between various millennial systems. And there are many who comb the pages of Revelation (and Daniel, and Ezekiel) looking for arcane details about this and that. There are some who seem to be able to look at every headline in the newspaper and relate it back to some prophetic detail in the pages of Revelatio...

Today's Readings -  Zephaniah 1-2, Revelation 9, Psalm 144:12–15, Proverbs 31:3-4 Devotional - What More Could God Do?  What more could God do? Since the beginning of time, since Adam and Eve took that fateful bite of that fruit and turned their backs on God and his ways, choosing sin instead of obedience, God has been at work to display his love and to draw people back to himself in grace. He gave a law to Moses, but before Moses came down off the mountain with the tablets the people had already put other gods before Yahweh. They broke the law before they had it. Israel's history is one of constant rebellion, judgment, restoration, and then renewed rebellion. God was faithful and loving but Israel continued in sin. Then God sent his Son to a little village south of Jerusalem, born of peasants from Nazareth. He came to show the love of God and to be the sacrifice for sin - willingly giving himself on our behalf. It is the most amazing thing anyone has ever done. Having lived ...

Today's Readings -  Habakkuk 2:6-3:19, Revelation 8, Psalm 144:5–11, Proverbs 31:1-2 Devotional - Woe! I love it when our readings come together like I planned it, or as if, perhaps, there were some kind of Holy Spirit working in the word of God to bring things together in perfect harmony. All four of our readings today have a common theme. Unfortunately, it is not a theme of joy, or encouragement, or victory. It is a theme of woe. Judgment. God's wrath against sin. We spoke of Habakkuk's message yesterday, but here he pronounces the "woe" of God on the Babylonians, those God used to punish his people. God may use evil for his purposes, but he still punishes it as surely as the earth revolves around the sun. In Revelation 8, we see the continuation of God's plan of wrath being poured out on the earth as the seventh seal of Jesus' scroll is opened and seven angels step forward to blow trumpets announcing escalating judgments on the world in which a third o...

Today's Readings -  Habakkuk 1:1-2:5, Revelation 6–7, Psalm 144:1–4, Proverbs 30:32-33 Devotional - Like Deer on the Heights Every day you watch the news and you ask the same question. Why, Lord, why? Why do you permit things like that to happen? You read of atrocities and wonder, "Where was God?" Prophets asked questions like that throughout the Old Testament era. They observed the sin, the wickedness and the wretched consequences of that sin in the world and wondered where God was. They knew two things about God - he was sovereign and he was good - and they couldn't make sense of it all. So they took their concerns to God. Habakkuk was one of those prophets. His book is a journey in discovery of the purposes of God. In chapter 1, verses 1-4, Habakkuk confronts God with his sense of injustice. How long,   Lord , must I call for help and you do not listen or cry out to you about violence and you do not save?   Why do you force me to look at injustice? Why do yo...