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!
11:1 Now the apostles and the brothers1 who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party2 criticized him, saying, 3 “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4 But Peter began and explained it to them in order: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. 6 Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ 10 This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. 11 And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; 14 he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ 15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists3 also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers4 living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
[1] 11:1
[2] 11:2
[3] 11:20
[4] 11:29
(ESV)
Almost a decade ago, county star Clay Walker released a single titled "The Chain of Love." The song tells the heartwarming story of a woman stranded on the side of a road with a flat tire when a gentleman named Joe stops to fix her tire, only to refuse her payment when she offers to compensate him for her services. Instead, he tells her:
You don't owe me a thing,
I've been there too.
Someone once helped me out,
Just the way I'm helping you.
If you really want to pay me back,
Here's what you do:
Don't let the chain of love end with you.
The song continues with this woman, in her newly repaired vehicle, stopping at a nearby café to grab some food when she meets a pregnant waitress. With Joe's words still ringing in her mind, she leaves a $100 bill on the table and slips out the door. At the end of the song, we find out that the waitress is Joe's wife. The "chain of love" has become a full "circle of love," all in the short scope of a four-minute song.
We like songs like Clay Walker's "The Chain of Love" because of the tender sentiment it expresses toward helping others and because it promotes the belief - or at the very least, strong hope - that such charity on our parts will eventually be rewarded. The "chain of love," we believe, is a "circle of love." And it will always and eventually circle back to us.
The idea of a "chain of love" is nothing new. Indeed, a hallmark of the early Christian church is that they "sold their possessions and goods, and gave to anyone as he had need" (Acts 2:45). And it is this "chain of love" that plays itself out in concrete history in our reading for today.
In Acts 11, Luke records the birth of the Christian church at Antioch. But at the same time the church at Antioch is going gangbusters under the direction of Barnabas and Saul (cf. verse 26), the more seasoned Christian church at Jerusalem has hit some hard times following Stephen's martyrdom (cf. Acts 8:1). Luke records the Jerusalem church's woes thusly:
During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. (verses 27-30)
A chain of love flows from Antioch to Jerusalem when this poor church needs it the most. Regrettably, this chain of love has to continue its flow to Jerusalem years after the initial financial support of Acts 11. Paul writes some fourteen years later to the church at Rome: "For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem" (Romans 15:26).
As far as we know, the "chain of love" toward Jerusalem never became a "circle of love" back toward those churches which offered their financial support. The church at Jerusalem took, but never gave back. History's reckoning of the "chain of love," it seems, is not nearly so fair and reciprocal as Clay Walker's idealized vision of it.
Jesus says, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid" (Luke 14:12). The chain of love, Jesus teaches, does not always become a circle. Sometimes, it is simply a one-way succession of selflessness.
Whether or not the chain of love circles back to us, our call is clear: to share and to be God's love to others. We are a link in God's chain of love. Who can you help today without expectation of receiving anything in return? Who can you serve without any chains attached to your chain of love? Jesus finally promises, whether or not you are ever repaid by another human for your love toward them, "you will be blessed" (Luke 12:14). And that's reason enough to love anyone, even as Jesus has already loved us.
1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family1 and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10 and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. 16 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. 21 And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.
[1] 1:3
(ESV)
Our Lord Jesus Christ clearly attributed the book bearing Daniel's name to the prophet himself in Matthew 24:15. The prophet Daniel was a young nobleman in the court of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, when King Nebuchadnezzar took him captive to Babylon in 605 BC. Since Daniel was trained to be a counselor to Judah's king, Nebuchadnezzar decided that he should be taught the Babylonian language and culture for three years, and then serve as his own counselor. Daniel was a good candidate since he was "without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace." He was given the Babylonian name Belteshazzar, meaning, "May [the god] Bel protect the king." Along with Daniel were three other Jewish nobles who were given the names, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel and his fellow Jews were offered the same royal provisions of food and wine as the Babylonian king, to sustain them during their training, however, because that food was unclean for the Jews, Daniel asked that they be given separate provisions that would not cause them to be defiled. The eunuch in charge of the king's court was hesitant, because he was afraid he would be in trouble if Daniel and the other captives would suffer because of their vegetarian regimen. Daniel, however, urged him to test the alternate diet for ten days, and when Daniel and his companions thrived with the new food, the steward agreed to the permanent change. God was with Daniel and the others, filling them with knowledge and wisdom, and even endowing them with the ability to understand and interpret dreams and visions. When their period of training was over, they were presented to the King Nebuchadnezzar, and they proved to be wiser and more skilled advisors than any of the Babylonian magicians or enchanters who served as advisors to the king. Daniel's service proved so valuable that he continued to serve the Babylonian kings until the kingdom was usurped by the Persian Empire during the first year of king Cyrus, that is, until 539 BC.
2:1 My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are crooked,
and who are devious in their ways.
16 So you will be delivered from the forbidden1 woman,
from the adulteress2 with her smooth words,
17 who forsakes the companion of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the departed;3
19 none who go to her come back,
nor do they regain the paths of life.
20 So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.
(ESV)