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
Sign up to get the readings sent to your email daily below
10:1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me,1 is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken—36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.
[1] 10:29
(ESV)
In 2010 the organizers of the Tour de France announced the 22 cycling teams that will make up the field. 16 of those teams were included as part of a 2008 agreement with the International Cycling Union. Six other teams were invited to participate including Lance Armstorng's new Team Radio Shack. In fact there are four American based teams, equalling the number from any other country, including France! Some cycling fans are upset about the two Dutch teams that were omitted considering the fact that the Tour will start in Holland this year. Others are surprised by the inclusion of the brand new British Team Sky. The fact is that the ASO, sponsoring organization for the Tour de France, has the authority to choose which teams they want to include.
It's nice to be in a position of authority. It gives you the power to do the things you want to do. If you're in a position of authority in a business you can make decisions about the direction of the business, hiring, firing and other important issues. If you're in a postion of authority politically you can determine issues that will effect the lives of many other people.
Jesus makes an interesting statement about authority in John 10:17-18: "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." Imagine using your position of authority to lay down your very own life. That seems like a rather strange way to use your authority, humanly speaking.
But Jesus wants us to understand that his death is not an accident. It is not the result of plotting and scheming by evil men, even though they played a role in it. It is not a result of some sort of failure on Jesus' part. It was a conscious, willful determination on the part of Jesus to lay down his life as the all-availing sacrifice for sin.
But who does that? Who uses their position of authority to bring injury -- even death upon themselves? Such a thing is unthinkable, humanly speaking. People in positions of authority frequently use their power to advance themselves. At best they use their power to benefit others. But they don't use their authority to bring harm to themselves. Yet, Jesus did so. He did so for our benefit. He laid down his life willingly so that we could be forgiven.
The wonderful thing about Jesus' authority was the extent of it. Jesus not only had authority to lay down his life, but he also had authority to take it up again. Jesus' death appears to be a moment of weakness not power. But Jesus' resurrection demonstrates that his death did not represent weakness. Rather, it was an act of great strength which he willingly endured for our sake. No wonder Jesus said that the Father loves him because he laid down his life in accord with the Father's will. No wonder we love Jesus! He laid down his life for us! Thank God for this unusual use of authority.
59:1 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
2 but your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood
and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies;
your tongue mutters wickedness.
4 No one enters suit justly;
no one goes to law honestly;
they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,
they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
5 They hatch adders’ eggs;
they weave the spider’s web;
he who eats their eggs dies,
and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.
6 Their webs will not serve as clothing;
men will not cover themselves with what they make.
Their works are works of iniquity,
and deeds of violence are in their hands.
7 Their feet run to evil,
and they are swift to shed innocent blood;
their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;
desolation and destruction are in their highways.
8 The way of peace they do not know,
and there is no justice in their paths;
they have made their roads crooked;
no one who treads on them knows peace.
9 Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not overtake us;
we hope for light, and behold, darkness,
and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
10 We grope for the wall like the blind;
we grope like those who have no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight,
among those in full vigor we are like dead men.
11 We all growl like bears;
we moan and moan like doves;
we hope for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12 For our transgressions are multiplied before you,
and our sins testify against us;
for our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
13 transgressing, and denying the LORD,
and turning back from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.
14 Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares,
and uprightness cannot enter.
15 Truth is lacking,
and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.
The LORD saw it, and it displeased him1
that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no man,
and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
then his own arm brought him salvation,
and his righteousness upheld him.
17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.
18 According to their deeds, so will he repay,
wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;
to the coastlands he will render repayment.
19 So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west,
and his glory from the rising of the sun;
for he will come like a rushing stream,2
which the wind of the LORD drives.
20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.
21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.”
(ESV)
Israel cried out to the LORD but there seemed to be no deliverance. Was the arm of the LORD too short to save His people? Was He too deaf to hear them? Certainly not! What kept the prayers of God's people from being heard was their unrepented sin. "Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God." Isaiah's description of the wickedness of God's rebellious people is a powerful one. But wickedness and rebellion is not limited to Israel. Paul borrowed Isaiah's words to write his own devastating description of the wickedness of sinful mankind in Romans chapter 3. Finally, there comes an acknowledgment by the prophet on behalf of God's people that their sins are many, and are the cause of their misery. Isaiah tells us that God looked for someone who could intervene to save His people but no one was capable, therefore "his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him." This is a prophecy that the messianic Servant of the LORD who would save His people would be God's only begotten Son, and that in the person of His own Son, God Himself would redeem His people from their sins. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves right with God. He had to save us Himself! The armor that the Savior bore in accomplishing our rescue is described in terms that were borrowed by Paul to describe the armor that a believer must put on to do battle with Satan. God promises "the Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression." Repentance is the only requirement for those who long to be rescued from their sins. God promises that in the New Covenant His Spirit will be upon His people and His Word will never depart from them.
12 Man in his pomp will not remain;
he is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
yet after them people approve of their boasts.1 Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah
16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,
when the glory of his house increases.
17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
his glory will not go down after him.
18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed—
and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19 his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never again see light.
20 Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
[1] 49:13
(ESV)