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
6:1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists1 arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers,2 pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
(ESV)
"Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings" (Psalm 17:8). Such is a prayer of David and a promise of God. We, as the crown of God's creation and the redeemed of God's Son, are the apple of God's eye. Not to give the same weight to a secular proverb as to a Scriptural promise, but an old saying here intersects with this Scriptural axiom: "The apple does not fall far from the tree."
The origin of this saying is uncertain, although some ascribe it to the famed fourth century BC physician, and the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates. Whatever its origins, this proverb is an apt affirmation that certain traits and habits have a proclivity to be passed on from one generation to the next. To put it another way, "Like father, like son."
As Jesus' redeemed, we are called his "children" (cf. 1 John 3:1). And, as Jesus' children, the proverb, "the apple does not far fall from the tree," would seem to apply. Indeed, as Jesus himself says, "Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also" (John 15:20). What happens to Jesus, even that which is harsh and harrying, will also happen to us as his children. For the apple does not fall far from the tree.
In our reading for today, we see one such an example of the life of one of Jesus' children echoing the life of Christ himself. Acts 6 recounts the life - and, sadly, the death - of the first Christian martyr Stephen. The parallels between Jesus' life and Stephen's are legion. Consider these:
Stephen angers sinful religious leaders who, try as they might, "can not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke" (verse 10). Jesus also angers sinful religious leaders who, try as they might, "can not say a word in reply" to Jesus (Matthew 22:46).
Stephen is persecuted by these same religious leaders who "stir up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law" (verse 12). Jesus is also persecuted by these religious leaders who "stir up the crowd" (Mark 15:11).
Stephen is tried on trumped up charges, brought by "false witnesses, who testified, 'This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law'" (verse 13). Jesus too is tried on trumped up charges, also brought by "false witnesses... who declared, 'This fellow said: I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days'" (Matthew 26:59-60).
The apple does not fall far from the tree. Jesus was persecuted and finally killed. And so Stephen too was persecuted and finally martyred.
As it was with Jesus, so it was with Stephen. And as it was with Stephen, so it is with us. Although we may not be martyred for our faith, we are sure to endure hardship and persecution. In fact, I received an email from a dear congregational member just this past week, seeking some assistance because an atheist friend of his was viciously attacking his faith. Such trials are sure to come. For the apple does not fall far from the tree.
As many hardships as we may have to endure as God's "apples," we can be assured of this: We will also enjoy God's successes and blessings. After all, for all the persecution that Jesus had to endure, those who opposed him could not stop him. And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Those who oppose us won't be able to stop us either. Indeed, in spite of Stephen's martyrdom, Acts reminds us, "The Word of God spread" (verse 7). Try as it might, this world's rage cannot stop the gospel's spread. For the Gospel is spread by us. And no one - no power or principality, no angel or demon - can thwart us apples of God's eye, for us apples never fall far from God's tree. And God can never be stopped! And that means, neither can we. So today, march forth boldly with God's gospel. For the more people who hear and believe the gospel, the more apples are added to God's tree. And what a marvelous tree it is. I'm proud to be a part. I hope you are too.
7 “And to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district and the property of the city, alongside the holy district and the property of the city, on the west and on the east, corresponding in length to one of the tribal portions, and extending from the western to the eastern boundary 8 of the land. It is to be his property in Israel. And my princes shall no more oppress my people, but they shall let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes.
9 “Thus says the Lord GOD: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. Cease your evictions of my people, declares the Lord GOD.
10 “You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath.1 11 The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, the bath containing one tenth of a homer,2 and the ephah one tenth of a homer; the homer shall be the standard measure. 12 The shekel shall be twenty gerahs;3 twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina.4
13 “This is the offering that you shall make: one sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat, and one sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley, 14 and as the fixed portion of oil, measured in baths, one tenth of a bath from each cor5 (the cor, like the homer, contains ten baths).6 15 And one sheep from every flock of two hundred, from the watering places of Israel for grain offering, burnt offering, and peace offerings, to make atonement for them, declares the Lord GOD. 16 All the people of the land shall be obliged to give this offering to the prince in Israel. 17 It shall be the prince’s duty to furnish the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the new moons, and the Sabbaths, all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he shall provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement on behalf of the house of Israel.
18 “Thus says the Lord GOD: In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a bull from the herd without blemish, and purify the sanctuary. 19 The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and the posts of the gate of the inner court. 20 You shall do the same on the seventh day of the month for anyone who has sinned through error or ignorance; so you shall make atonement for the temple.
21 “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall celebrate the Feast of the Passover, and for seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22 On that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the people of the land a young bull for a sin offering. 23 And on the seven days of the festival he shall provide as a burnt offering to the LORD seven young bulls and seven rams without blemish, on each of the seven days; and a male goat daily for a sin offering. 24 And he shall provide as a grain offering an ephah for each bull, an ephah for each ram, and a hin7 of oil to each ephah. 25 In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month and for the seven days of the feast, he shall make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, and grain offerings, and for the oil.
[1] 45:10
[2] 45:11
[3] 45:12
[4] 45:12
[5] 45:14
[6] 45:14
[7] 45:24
(ESV)
In addition to the land adjacent to the temple complex that was allocated for use by the priests and Levites and by the whole house of Israel, two large tracts of land, extending to the east and the west of the temple complex all the way to the borders of the land in each direction, were apportioned to Israel's prince. In the restored nation, the land given to the prince would be more than adequate to supply his needs, so that the prince would "no more oppress" God's people. The prince of the restored nation of Israel was to execute justice and righteousness, unlike the evil kings before him who had led Israel into sin, and who repeatedly sinned against God's people. Weights and measures were to be honest so that no one was taken advantage of. A portion of the produce of the land was to be given to the prince of Israel, who in turn would provide the offerings for the festivals, New Moons and Sabbath. The calendar of festivals and offerings detailed by Ezekiel for the New Temple does not match what was spelled out in the Pentateuch. In particular the Passover is portrayed more as atonement for sin, and not so much as a memorial of the Exodus Passover. In this way Ezekiel may have been looking ahead to the True Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, whose blood shed on Calvary would truly atone for sin.
147:1 Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant,1 and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The LORD lifts up the humble;2
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre!
8 He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain for the earth;
he makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the beasts their food,
and to the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders;
he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and rules3 to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.4
Praise the LORD!
[1] 147:1
[2] 147:6
[3] 147:19
[4] 147:20
(ESV)