Bible Reading Plan

Word for Today

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!

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Readings for


New Testament Reading


Matthew 19

Teaching About Divorce

19:1 Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”1

10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

Let the Children Come to Me

13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.

The Rich Young Man

16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world,2 when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold3 and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Footnotes

[1] 19:9 Some manuscripts add and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery; other manuscripts except for sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery
[2] 19:28 Greek in the regeneration
[3] 19:29 Some manuscripts manifold

(ESV)

Pastoral Commentary for Matthew 19

Commentary from Pastor Bob Nordlie

Cycling is one of those sports in which the youngest riders are not usually the best. Not only does it take time to hone your skills as a professional cyclist, but it also takes time to develop the endurance and tenacity required to win a multi-day stage race, like the Tour de France. For this reason, most races have a category for the youngest riders that allows them to compete for a prize, in addition to the general classification victory.

In Matthew 19 Jesus turns things upside down (as he often does) by saying: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14) In his Kingdom we must all become like the youngest of children in order to be "winners." What does He mean?

There are many things about God and His Kingdom that make no sense to the people of this world, things like, "Whoever wants to be greatest among you must be servant of all." Things like, "Whoever want to save his life will lose it." Things like the Son of God willingly laying down His life for sinful people. There are truths about God that we will never fully comprehend. Like the Trinity, One God in three Persons.

That doesn't mean we have to sacrifice our intellects to become Christians. The Christian faith is the most reasonable faith of all. We can use reason to understand how a just God must punish sin, and yet the same loving God will sacrifice His own Son to take our punishment for us.

Nevertheless, unless we are willing to accept some truths in a simple, childlike manner we will never have the faith we need to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. A little child willingly accepts what a loving parent tells them as being true. God wants us to accept His Truth with the same kind of simple faith. Then we will be ready to receive everything He wants to bestow on us.


Old Testament Reading


Jeremiah 48:21–47

21 “Judgment has come upon the tableland, upon Holon, and Jahzah, and Mephaath, 22 and Dibon, and Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim, 23 and Kiriathaim, and Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon, 24 and Kerioth, and Bozrah, and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. 25 The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, declares the LORD.

26 “Make him drunk, because he magnified himself against the LORD, so that Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he too shall be held in derision. 27 Was not Israel a derision to you? Was he found among thieves, that whenever you spoke of him you wagged your head?

28   “Leave the cities, and dwell in the rock,
    O inhabitants of Moab!
  Be like the dove that nests
    in the sides of the mouth of a gorge.
29   We have heard of the pride of Moab—
    he is very proud—
  of his loftiness, his pride, and his arrogance,
    and the haughtiness of his heart.
30   I know his insolence, declares the LORD;
    his boasts are false,
    his deeds are false.
31   Therefore I wail for Moab;
    I cry out for all Moab;
    for the men of Kir-hareseth I mourn.
32   More than for Jazer I weep for you,
    O vine of Sibmah!
  Your branches passed over the sea,
    reached to the Sea of Jazer;
  on your summer fruits and your grapes
    the destroyer has fallen.
33   Gladness and joy have been taken away
    from the fruitful land of Moab;
  I have made the wine cease from the winepresses;
    no one treads them with shouts of joy;
    the shouting is not the shout of joy.

34 “From the outcry at Heshbon even to Elealeh, as far as Jahaz they utter their voice, from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah. For the waters of Nimrim also have become desolate. 35 And I will bring to an end in Moab, declares the LORD, him who offers sacrifice in the high place and makes offerings to his god. 36 Therefore my heart moans for Moab like a flute, and my heart moans like a flute for the men of Kir-hareseth. Therefore the riches they gained have perished.

37 “For every head is shaved and every beard cut off. On all the hands are gashes, and around the waist is sackcloth. 38 On all the housetops of Moab and in the squares there is nothing but lamentation, for I have broken Moab like a vessel for which no one cares, declares the LORD. 39 How it is broken! How they wail! How Moab has turned his back in shame! So Moab has become a derision and a horror to all that are around him.”

40   For thus says the LORD:
  “Behold, one shall fly swiftly like an eagle
    and spread his wings against Moab;
41   the cities shall be taken
    and the strongholds seized.
  The heart of the warriors of Moab shall be in that day
    like the heart of a woman in her birth pains;
42   Moab shall be destroyed and be no longer a people,
    because he magnified himself against the LORD.
43   Terror, pit, and snare
    are before you, O inhabitant of Moab!
      declares the LORD.
44   He who flees from the terror
    shall fall into the pit,
  and he who climbs out of the pit
    shall be caught in the snare.
  For I will bring these things upon Moab,
    the year of their punishment,
      declares the LORD.
45   “In the shadow of Heshbon
    fugitives stop without strength,
  for fire came out from Heshbon,
    flame from the house of Sihon;
  it has destroyed the forehead of Moab,
    the crown of the sons of tumult.
46   Woe to you, O Moab!
    The people of Chemosh are undone,
  for your sons have been taken captive,
    and your daughters into captivity.
47   Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab
    in the latter days, declares the LORD.”
  Thus far is the judgment on Moab.

(ESV)

Pastoral Commentary for Jeremiah 48:21-47

Commentary from Pastor Bob Nordlie

Jeremiah named all the various places on the plains of Moab where the wrath of God would be poured out. Moab would be forced to drink the cup of God's wrath, with the same kind of devastating consequences as for a man who gets sick and drunk from too much wine. Because Moab had mocked Israel when the LORD chastened them, now Moab would feel God's wrath. What is it that causes such a downfall? "We have heard of the pride of Moab—he is very proud—of his loftiness, his pride, and his arrogance, and the haughtiness of his heart." Such false pride always has devastating consequences! Moab, known for its vineyards, would be robbed of its fruit, along with its joy and gladness. Jeremiah named locations from the north to the south of Moab where God would bring an end to idolatry, as here we might say, "from Dallas, to Austin, to San Antonio, down to Laredo." The weeping and mourning would be overwhelming throughout the land. The nation that "magnified itself against the LORD" would be laid low in the dust of destruction. There would be no escape, for "He who flees from the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare." If we are tempted to grow weary of such a long tirade against such a long-forgotten people, we should remember that the pride that brought Moab's downfall is just as real and just as great a danger to our hearts as it was to theirs. "The latter days" when God would restore the fortunes of Moab are the days of the Messiah, when "many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 8:11).


Psalms/Proverbs Reading


Psalm 92

How Great Are Your Works

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.

92:1   It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
    to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
  to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
    and your faithfulness by night,
  to the music of the lute and the harp,
    to the melody of the lyre.
  For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work;
    at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
  How great are your works, O LORD!
    Your thoughts are very deep!
  The stupid man cannot know;
    the fool cannot understand this:
  that though the wicked sprout like grass
    and all evildoers flourish,
  they are doomed to destruction forever;
    but you, O LORD, are on high forever.
  For behold, your enemies, O LORD,
    for behold, your enemies shall perish;
    all evildoers shall be scattered.
10   But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
    you have poured over me1 fresh oil.
11   My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
    my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
12   The righteous flourish like the palm tree
    and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13   They are planted in the house of the LORD;
    they flourish in the courts of our God.
14   They still bear fruit in old age;
    they are ever full of sap and green,
15   to declare that the LORD is upright;
    he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Footnotes

[1] 92:10 Compare Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain

(ESV)