Dave Miller's 2024 Bible Reading Challenge

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:     1 Samuel 6-10    Background:     It is interesting how often immensely talented people end up being failures in God's kingdom work. Samson was good-looking and athletic but lacked character. Here we have King Saul - head and shoulders taller than others, charismatic and appealing. But he was not careful to obey God and his life became a cautionary tale of failure. In to...

Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:   1 Samuel 1-5     Background:     As Judges 17-21 took Israel to the nadir of its history, this passage is the beginning of the rise to Israel's greatest days. God's grace restored Israel. The irony is that when Israel reached its worst days at the end of the period of the Judges it was only 50 years or so from its glory days under King David. It all began when one woman prayed ferve...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:   Ruth 1-4     Background:     Ruth is one of the truly great love stories in ancient literature. No, it is not so much a story of romantic love, but the faithful love of a daughter-in-law to a mother-in-law. The purpose of this book is to tell the story of King David's great-grandmother from Moab. She is also one of the four women who appear in Jesus' genealogy. Daily Devotiona...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:   Judges 17-21 Background:     There is little uplifting or encouraging in this passage. It is the story of the degradation of Israel at the end of the downward spiral of the cycle of Judges. As Israel drifted away from God and then returned, the nation gradually degraded and the behavior of the people showed absolutely no obedience to God. The last verse of the book describes the spiritu...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:     Judges 11-16    Background:     As the cycle continued, Israel's judges became less noble and more flawed. Today we focus on two flawed leaders - Jephthah and Samson. The biggest question in today's reading is what happened to Jephthah's daughter (Judges 11). There are two schools of thought and each time I have taught this book I've changed my mind. Jephthah's daughter...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:     Judges 6-10    Background:     Today we read the story of Gideon, the nobody who God made a judge. It is a story of God's power to transform and to accomplish great things with the weakest of vessels who submit to his use. Daily Devotional:      Mighty Warrior Judges 6:12 is one of those great moments in history. Gideon was hiding in the winepress, thresh...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:   Judges 1-5     Background:     Having divided up the tribal land, Israel failed to drive out the inhabitants as they were commanded to, and the result was a terrible cycle of spiritual drift, catastrophe, revival, and renewed drift. Chapter 2 explains the cycle and the rest of the book covers the stories of the judges that led Israel back to God. There are 12 judges but the bo...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:      Joshua 19-24   Background:     As the inheritance is distributed to each tribe, we begin to see the fact that the tribes are failing to drive out the inhabitants from their areas. They may subdue them, but they do not drive them out. Those inhabitants would eventually come back to haunt them. The book of Joshua ends with a powerful covenant renewal, in which Joshua lea...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:   Joshua 13-18     Background:     We begin, in today's reading, the division of the land among the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The boundaries can be fairly dry reading - I'd encourage you to keep a map beside you as you read. The most interesting part of this to me is Caleb's request in chapter 14 to have a hill to conquer in his old age. May his tribe increase. Daily Devotional: ...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:     Joshua 9-12    Background:     There are three major thrusts in the Conquest of Canaan. First, there is the Southern Campaign. After Jericho and Ai, Israel fought the Battle of the Five Kings recorded in today's reading - famous for the sun standing still. Then there was the Northern Campaign, recorded in chapters 11-12, along with a summary. The third section, which ta...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:     Joshua 5-8    Background:     One of the great stories of the Bible, the battle of Jericho, is in today's reading. There was the encounter with the Captain of the Lord's army who gave Joshua the plan. He then went back and reported the plan to the leaders of Israel. Can you imagine their response? Walk around 13 times? Are you nuts? But the key was obedience! And persis...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:     Joshua 1-4    Background:     Joshua's early chapters do not lack interesting and exciting stories. Joshua begins with the eponymous character's establishment as the leader of Israel. He then guides the people through the Jordan at flood stage into the Promised Land. The crossing of the Jordan is a great story of faith. Remember, it was flood-stage and God said that he ...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:     Deuteronomy 30-34, Psalm 90    Background:     Today's reading is about transitions. Moses has led Israel from the moment God sent him from the Burning Bush and now it is his time to die. Joshua has been beside him for 40 years and it is his time to take over. This is going to be tough, but God guides his people through. We also have our first psalm, Psalm 90, a prayer ...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:   Deuteronomy 24-29     Background:     The lengthy section giving the "Second Law" continues as it has in our last several days of readings. But the key thought here is the ceremony on Gerizim and Ebal, in which the choice of blessing or curses is given. A note - when we think of "curse" it conjures vivid ideas, but we ought to think more of God's discipline and the ...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:     Deuteronomy 18-23    Background:     The expansion of the law of God continues. As you read these laws, look for the character quality of God behind the law. We may not be under the law, but our God does not change. Daily Devotional:    Enemies Too Big! Quite a pep talk God gave Israel through Moses in Deuteronomy 20:1-4. "Your enemies are always going to be b...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022 This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened."  Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.  Bible Readings:     Deuteronomy 14-17    Background:     The expansion of the laws of Israel continues in these chapters - with a wide variety of topics, all of which we have seen previously. Idolatry. Cleanliness. Feasts. Tithes. Canceling debts. Daily Devotional:   Under the Law "We are not under the law but under grace." I am thankful for that every day - and if I am not, I should ...