This Bible reading plan takes you through most of the Holy Scriptures each weekday of the year. Each day has three Bible readings:
You're welcome to read one, two, or all three of the readings every weekday. And if you fall behind, don't worry! You can either use the weekends to catch up or you can simply dive in to the reading for that day, even if you've missed a few days, weeks, or even months!
You can download a foldable bookmark here: 2026
15:1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins,1 if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to2 one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’3 22 But the father said to his servants,4 ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
[1] 15:8
[2] 15:15
[3] 15:21
[4] 15:22
(ESV)
When I was in college, I, like most young men my age, subsisted on a steady diet of Ramen Noodles and Little Debbie Snack Cakes. After all, Ramen requires only a little bit of hot water before it congeals into a delectable feast and Little Debbie is always good for a delicious dessert. Her Nutty Bars are the best. Perhaps most important to me, however, was the fact that these two so-called "food" products were, for all intensive purposes, non-perishable. Yes, they came with "sell-by" dates on their packaging, but these dates were usually years away. As the prophet Isaiah has foretold, "The grass withereth and the flowers falleth, but Ramen and Little Debbie endureth forever" (Isaiah 40:8). Hmmm. Perhaps I mistranslated the Hebrew there. The point being that since these foods were nearly non-perishable, I never had to hurry and scarf down these products. I could buy them in bulk and then save them indefinitely - even from one year to the next if I wanted to.
What Ramen Noodles and Little Debbie Snack Cakes are, people are not. People, unlike food products packed with preservatives, are perishable. Perhaps an ancient inscription on a Thracian sarcophagus discovered in the early twentieth century says it best: "Whenever this night might come, I will wholly perish." People perish. So says the sarcophagus which now holds the remains of a perished person. Notably, the Greek word for "perish" in this inscription is apollumi, which, consequently, leads us to our text for today from Luke 15.
In today's chapter, Jesus tells three stories of things which are "lost." But they are actually more than merely lost. They are "perishing." For the Greek word that Jesus uses here for "lost" is apollumi. Thus, Jesus speaks of not just a lost sheep, but of a perishing one (cf. verses 4-7). And a woman does not just search for her lost coin, she searches for her perishing coin (cf. verses 8-10). And when an ungrateful son demands his inheritance from his father so that he can squander it on wild living, he is not just a lost soul, he is a perishing one (cf. verses 11-24).
It is this final story which I find especially fascinating. For Jesus' first two stories are more allegorical. That is, they are stories of animals and things which symbolize people. Jesus' final story, however, is more explicit and straightly told. Jesus flatly says that people can and do perish. And yet, this final story is not so much about a perishing son as it is about the father who finds him.
After this perishing son squanders his inheritance and hits a financial, moral, emotional, and spiritual bottom, he says to himself:
"How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men." So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (verses 17-20).
"But while he was still a long way off... " This is the key to understanding Jesus' story. The father does not wait for his perishing son to draw near to him so that he can breathe new life into his shattered existence; rather, he chases after him while he is still a long way off - while he is still perishing.
The father in this story, of course, is Christ himself. And the son is us. We are perishing. We are perishing because of our sin. And if you doubt this, your sarcophagus will confirm this truth soon enough. But Jesus is in the business of rescuing perishing people. He is in the business of saving people, even when they are still a long way off from him.
Today, take a brief account of what sins enslave you. Then remember that these wicked things are "destined to perish" (Colossians 2:22), and so repent of them so that you might not be doomed to destruction (cf. Matthew 10:28). For it is God's will that "none should perish" (2 Peter 3:9). That is why God sent his Son to an earth and a sinful people a long way off - so that we might not perish, but have eternal life. And that's a promise not even a sarcophagus can sever.
34:1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; 6 they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
7 “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 8 As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 10 Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.
11 “For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy.1 I will feed them in justice.
17 “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? 19 And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?
20 “Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22 I will rescue2 my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.
(ESV)
God charged Ezekiel with prophesying against the "shepherds of Israel," that is, her leaders including prophets, priests and kings, all of whom abused their leadership for their own benefit, instead of caring for God's chosen people. "You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep." Their sins of omission were detailed by Ezekiel as well: "The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought." Thus, by both abuse and neglect the leaders of Israel utterly failed at their God given responsibilities. The result was that God's sheep were scattered "all over the face of the earth." Had the appointed shepherds of Israel been faithful to their duties, the Exile could have been averted. As a result, God set His face against the leaders of Israel, and warned that He would take away their positions of leadership and rescue His sheep from them. God then promised that He would search for His sheep Himself, and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered. Everything that the false shepherds of Israel refused to do, God Himself would do for them: "I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice." God would do this through His Son, the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. Ezekiel's words encompass not only Jesus first coming, when He sacrificed Himself for the sheep who had gone astray, but they also envision His second coming, when He will return to judge. Ezekiel's prophecy, "I will judge between sheep and sheep," was the basis for Jesus' own parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. Jesus was the "one shepherd, my servant David." He would bring about the New Covenant, in which "I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them."
133:1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!1
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
134:1 Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,
who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the LORD!
3 May the LORD bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!
[1] 133:1
(ESV)