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
4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”1
18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”2 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
[1] 4:17
[2] 4:19
(ESV)
The story goes that two high school football players were taking a biology test. Only a couple of hours after they had finished, they were called into the principal's office. With a serious face and somber tone, the principal said to the boys, "I have reason to believe that the two of you cheated on your biology test earlier this afternoon." Not surprisingly, they both adamantly denied any such wrongdoing. So the principal systematically laid out his case. "You both got questions 8, 14, and 15 wrong," he began. "Yeah, but I'm sure other kids got those questions wrong too," they protested. "They were hard questions! It's just a coincidence." "Yes," the principal continued, "but neither one got the answer to question 20 correct. In fact, you, John, just wrote 'I don't know' as your answer to that question." "Well," John retorted, "I didn't know! That's not cheating! That's just an honest answer." "Yes," the principal pressed, "but you, Peter, in response to the same question, wrote, 'I don't know either.'"
Tests. They're something not many of us like to take. And sometimes, in a moment of weakness, we may even engage in dishonesty in an attempt to pass one. In fact, according to a survey in U.S. News and World Report, 80% of so-called "high-achieving" high school students admitted to cheating, along with 75% of college students. Moreover, a 2006 study conducted by Claremont Graduate University found that 61% of all tenth graders reported being affected by a clinical psychological condition known as "test anxiety," which often leads to cheating. It seems tests are almost universally feared.
Our reading for today from Matthew 4 begins: "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the dessert to be tempted by the devil" (verse 1). Quite honestly, this verse has always bothered me. Why would the Spirit lead Jesus to a place where the devil can tempt him with all sorts of wicked sin and desire? Does not the Bible say, "God tempts no one" (James 1:13)? Yes, but Christ's "temptation" by the devil is only half of this story.
The Greek word for "tempt" is peirazo, which can not only mean "tempting," a word that has negative connotations of leading people into sin, it can also mean "testing," which is something that God himself does with those he loves. An example of such testing is offered by the author of Hebrews: "By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned'" (Hebrews 11:17-18). Abraham is peirazo-d by God when God says to him, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about" (Genesis 22:2). God wants to see if Abraham will follow his every command, even when his command seems shatteringly devastating and oppressive. Gloriously, Abraham passes God's test, and God spares Isaac's life. This, then, is what the Spirit is doing with Jesus: he is leading him into the desert to be "tested."
But there is a double entendre in Matthew's use of peirazo. Because although the Spirit may be using Jesus' trial in the desert as a test, Satan wants to twist it into a temptation. For Jesus has been fasting for forty days and is now hungry (cf. verse 2). And it is then that Satan arrives to see if he can use Jesus' test in hunger to tempt him into vice: "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread" (verse 3). In other words, "Let me take your test in hunger," Satan says, "and turn it into an opportunity for sin - to fill your grumbling stomach in a way that would dishonor God." To put it another way, Satan's desire is that Jesus gets an "F" on the Spirit's test. But Jesus, although willing to endure the Spirit's holy test, will not put up with Satan's sinister temptations. "Away from me, Satan!" Jesus shouts (verse 10). And Jesus passes the Spirit's test. For he rejects the way of sin and walks in the way of righteousness.
James writes, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (James 1:2-3). God, James says, tests his people, even as he tested his Son. But he does not test us in the hope that we will fail. Nor does he test us out of a sadistic desire that we will suffer and stumble. No, God tests us for our good. He tests us so that we may persevere in life and in faith.
So today, live your life knowing that this is a test. But it's a test that, by God's grace, you can surely pass. No test anxiety necessary.
8 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them, 9 that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother. 10 And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free. 11 But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves. 12 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 13 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I myself made a covenant with your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying, 14 ‘At the end of seven years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; you must set him free from your service.’ But your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me. 15 You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming liberty, each to his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name, 16 but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your slaves.
17 “Therefore, thus says the LORD: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the LORD. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 And the men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make them like1 the calf that they cut in two and passed between its parts—19 the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf. 20 And I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives. Their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. 21 And Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives, into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has withdrawn from you. 22 Behold, I will command, declares the LORD, and will bring them back to this city. And they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.”
[1] 34:18
(ESV)
The practice of slavery was commonplace in the ancient world, but in King Zedekiah's day, Jews were enslaving their fellow Jews indefinitely. The king made a covenant with the people to free the slaves, either in hopes of gaining favor with God, or more likely, because the thinking was that free people would be more willing to fight to defend Jerusalem than slaves would be. There was a sudden change of heart however, when Nebuchadnezzar ended his siege to pursue an Egyptian army. In a terrible breech of their covenant, the Jews took back their slaves. Through Jeremiah God reminded the people that He had commanded them to free their fellow Hebrew slaves every seventh year, but they had disobeyed God and kept their slaves. In setting the slaves free, for whatever reason, the people had done the right thing. In taking back their slaves the people had profaned God's name. Because they had robbed their own people of their freedom, God would set free on them the sword and pestilence and famine. God promised to destroy the slaveholders, like the sundered calves whose halves the people would pass between when they were made subject to a conquering king. They would not even experience a decent burial, but their bodies would be food for the vultures and wolves. The respite from Babylon's siege would only be temporary. Nebuchadnezzar's armies would return and destroy the city. God placed freedom in the heart of every human being when He gave us a free will. Although God temporarily endured the sin of slavery among sinful men, He set in motion the societal and spiritual changes that ultimately brought slavery down, through His chosen people Israel, as well as through His Son Jesus Christ and His people, the Church. God longs for us to be truly free, but this only happens when we know and believe the truth of Jesus Christ, and live in the true freedom that He alone can give.
81:1 Sing aloud to God our strength;
shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
2 Raise a song; sound the tambourine,
the sweet lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our feast day.
4 For it is a statute for Israel,
a rule2 of the God of Jacob.
5 He made it a decree in Joseph
when he went out over3 the land of Egypt.
I hear a language I had not known:
6 “I relieved your4 shoulder of the burden;
your hands were freed from the basket.
7 In distress you called, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange god among you;
you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him,
and their fate would last forever.
16 But he would feed you5 with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
[1] 81:1
[2] 81:4
[3] 81:5
[4] 81:6
[5] 81:16
(ESV)