Dave Miller's 2025 Bible Reading Challenge

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   2 Kings 1-5 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Originally, 1 and 2 Kings (the same is true of 1 and 2 Chronicles) were one book, but they were separated to keep the scrolls from becoming too big. At the beginning of 2 Kings, we see the transition from Elijah to Elisha. Elijah is taken up into heaven, and Elisha receives a double portion of his power. Daily Devotional:   It's about Him Sometimes, we forget what it is all about - no, WHO it is all about. Elijah was a great man of God, one of the greatest found in the pa...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Obadiah 1, Psalm 82-83 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Obadiah is the shortest book of the Old Testament, expressing the judgment of God on Edom, the descendant nations of Esau. The Psalms we read today are pleas for God's judgment against sinful nations. Daily Devotional:   That They Might See God It is not uncommon for us to see things in this world that make us angry, that horrify us, that set our teeth on edge. When those despicable Planned Parenthood videos came out showing them selling organs and body parts o...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   2 Chronicles 18-23 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Jehoshaphat was a good king who compromised by his involvement with Ahab, the evil king of Israel. These chapters tell of Jehoshaphat's reign and of Micaiah's prophecies. The effect of Jehoshaphat's compromise is seen in the life of Jehoram, his son, who followed him to the throne. Today's devotional explores his wasted life. Daily Devotional:   A Wasted Life Have you ever thought about what you want on your tombstone? Is there some brief, pithy statement...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   1 Kings 17-22 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     This reading details the battle between Elijah and evil king Ahab, and later the story of Micaiah and Ahab. Ahab is the worst of Israel's kings, embracing idolatry at the insistence of his wife Jezebel and Ahab and Micaiah are both men who stood for God against him. Daily Devotional:   Kill the Messenger "Don't kill the messenger." That is exactly what Ahab wanted to do. The phrase is meant to show the absurdity of attacking the bearer of bad news. It was not uncommon i...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   1 Kings 15:25-16:24, 2 Chronicles 17 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Our readings today bounce between the kings of Israel and Judah. In 2 Chronicles we see Jehoshaphat, one of the second-tier kings - good but not great. The 1 Kings readings focus on Israel's increasingly evil kings. Daily Devotional:   The Heavenly View My college was not exactly a fundamentalist stronghold! Professors regularly taught us that the Bible's teachings were inaccurate, biased, or historically faulty. I recall my Old Testament pro...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   1 Kings 15:1-24, 2 Chronicles 13-16   In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     We begin to work through the kings of Israel and Judah. In Kings, we see both nations' kings while Chronicles only looks at Judah. All of the kings of Israel are condemned because they continued the sin of Jeroboam, idolatry. However, the kings of Judah are essentially graded in four different ways. The top grade goes to the good kings who obeyed God and also got rid of idols and high places.  The second tier was the good kings who obeyed Go...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   1 Kings 12-14, 2 Chronicles 10-12 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Solomon taught that life is choices and that those choices have consequences - the basis of the book of Proverbs. Then, his life spiraled downward as he made bad choices and, at least for a time, embraced folly. In today's reading, we see the consequences in his son's life of the folly he embraced.  Daily Devotional:   Choices Have Consequences The Bible makes it clear that each of us stands before God and accounts for our own sin, that we are n...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Ecclesiastes 7-12 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     A brief overview of Ecclesiastes: Introduction: (1:1-11) "Everything is meaningless Investigating the Meaninglessness of life (1:12-6:9) Conclusions about the Meaninglessness of life (6:10-11:6) Introduction (6:10-12) Man cannot discover what is good for him to do. (7:1-8:17)  Man has no idea what comes after him. (9:1-11:6) Concluding poem (11:7-12:8) Epilogue (12:9-14) Daily Devotional:   Bad Stuff Happens What is Solomon's problem? In Proverbs, Solomon sets ...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Ecclesiastes 1-6 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Ecclesiastes is a mysterious book, written from an earthly and even somewhat cynical viewpoint. It says some strange and confusing things, mixed in with some powerful wisdom. It is generally believed that Solomon was the author, but he is not identified by some. Some believe that the "son of David" (which can also mean descendant) might have been Hezekiah. Both ideas had support in Rabbinical traditions. It is most likely that Solomon was the author. We know of three peri...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   1 Kings 10-11, 2 Chronicles 9 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Hubris - the incredible human capacity to overestimate ourselves and become embroiled in pride. Solomon was blessed by God with a gift, the ability to discern truth from error and choose the path of wisdom over the path of folly, and the results were amazing. He became one of the greatest men in the world, right up until pride and self-sufficiency entered his heart. "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." Those were Solomon's own w...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Proverbs 25-31 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Today we complete the book of Proverbs, reading various collections of wisdom from different authors. Daily Devotional:   No, that is not a sidewalk. It is a trail worn in the rock of the Tsankawi Ruins near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Over the centuries, the feet of the people living on that hill cut deep paths into the solid rock. Amazing. Had Solomon known about the Tsankawi, he might have worded Proverbs 25:15 a little differently. Proverbs are inspired observations...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 8 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     In today's readings, we see the finishing of the Temple and the rest of Solomon's amazing and extensive building projects. Though David was a man after God's own heart, Solomon was the man who built Israel into a regional powerhouse. He was a man to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, as we will see in future readings, his life would become a model of the proverb that says, "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." Daily Devotional:   ...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Psalm 134, 146-150 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Today, we wrap up the book of Psalms, though some Psalms from later times will appear in subsequent readings. There will be no more days in which the Psalms are the primary focus of readings. The last few Psalms are "Hallelujah Psalms," which focus on reasons and methods of praising the Lord. Daily Devotional:   The Lord's Delight What makes God happy? Obviously, God's emotions are not like ours, so a question like that is not easily answered, but the Bible does sp...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   2 Chronicles 6-7, Psalm 136 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     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 we will give more emphasis to the ...

Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   1 Kings 7-8, 2 Chronicles 4-5 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     The readings today examine the finishing of the Temple and its dedication to the glory of God. Daily Devotional:   The Presence of God Solomon built a magnificent structure. The temple in Jerusalem was among the more impressive buildings of the time, and Solomon was clearly among the most impressive people. His fame spread far and wide. He was rich, powerful, honored; the wisest man on earth. This magnificent temple was his creation. His people did the work. Wh...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   1 Kings 5-6, 2 Chronicles 2-3 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Today's readings in 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles tell of the building of the Temple by Solomon. Daily Devotional:   Excellence It is an argument that has often been had in choirs and music programs around the country, especially back when "special music" was more a part of worship than it is in many churches today. Many over-evaluate their own musical talents. I have heard many a solo sung in church by folks who should be reluctant to sing anywhere but the s...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Proverbs 20-24 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Today's reading encompasses three collections. It concludes the 191 proverbs applying God's wisdom to life situations that began in Proverbs 16:1, then includes two different "Sayings of the Wise," proverbs that come from sources other than Solomon.  Daily Devotional:   The Key to EVERYTHING How is that title for a bit of hyperbole? When you read Proverbs, though, it actually isn't. In fact, the point I will make today is one of the clearest teachings in all of Sc...

  Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2026 This year, we will read the Bible chronologically, as it happened, instead of simply reading from Genesis to Revelation.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New.  Bible Readings :   Proverbs 15-19 In Bible Gateway, we will link to the NIV this year, though you can choose any version you prefer.  Background:     Today's reading ends the first section of 184 contrasts between wisdom and folly, which ends at the end of chapter 15, and begins the 191 proverbs (going through 22:16) that apply wisdom to life. Daily Devotional:   A Healthy Diet "You are what you eat." "Garbage in; garbage out." These are modern-day proverbs that draw life principles from our observation of everyday life. We see that people who eat well tend to feel good and be healthy, while those who gorge on the w...