Daily Devotions · April 16
Reading for April 16
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
1 Samuel 18 · 1 Chronicles 6 · Psalm 11 · Matthew 3
1 Samuel 18 · 1 Chronicles 6 · Psalm 11 · Matthew 3, Berean Standard Bible
1 Samuel 18
After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself. 2 And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt. 5 So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war. And this was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and of Saul’s officers as well. 6 As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments. 7 And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” 8 And Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me. What more can he have but the kingdom?” 9 And from that day forward Saul kept a jealous eye on David. 10 The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear, 11 and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice. 12 So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul. 13 Therefore Saul sent David away and gave him command of a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back, 14 and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him. 15 When Saul saw that David was very successful, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back. 17 Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” 18 And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?” 19 So when it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah. 20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him. 21 “I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.” 22 Then Saul ordered his servants, “Speak to David privately and tell him, ‘Behold, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become his son-in-law.’” 23 But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king? I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.” 24 And the servants told Saul what David had said. 25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines. 26 When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived, 27 David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David in marriage. 28 When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, 29 he grew even more afraid of David. So from then on Saul was David’s enemy. 30 Every time the Philistine commanders came out for battle, David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers, so that his name was highly esteemed.
1 Chronicles 6
The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 2 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 3 The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 4 Eleazar was the father of Phinehas, Phinehas was the father of Abishua, 5 Abishua was the father of Bukki, Bukki was the father of Uzzi, 6 Uzzi was the father of Zerahiah, Zerahiah was the father of Meraioth, 7 Meraioth was the father of Amariah, Amariah was the father of Ahitub, 8 Ahitub was the father of Zadok, Zadok was the father of Ahimaaz, 9 Ahimaaz was the father of Azariah, Azariah was the father of Johanan, 10 Johanan was the father of Azariah, who served as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem, 11 Azariah was the father of Amariah, Amariah was the father of Ahitub, 12 Ahitub was the father of Zadok, Zadok was the father of Shallum, 13 Shallum was the father of Hilkiah, Hilkiah was the father of Azariah, 14 Azariah was the father of Seraiah, and Seraiah was the father of Jehozadak. 15 Jehozadak went into captivity when the LORD sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. 16 The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 17 These are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites listed according to their fathers: 20 Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21 Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son. 22 The descendants of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23 Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, 24 Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. 25 The descendants of Elkanah: Amasai, Ahimoth, 26 Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, 27 Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son. 28 The sons of Samuel: Joel his firstborn and Abijah his second son. 29 The descendants of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, 30 Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son. 31 These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark rested there. 32 They ministered with song before the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. And they performed their duties according to the regulations given them. 33 These are the men who served, together with their sons. From the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, 34 the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 35 the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 36 the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, 37 the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 38 the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. 39 Heman’s kinsman was Asaph, who served at his right hand: Asaph the son of Berechiah, the son of Shimea, 40 the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah, 41 the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 42 the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 43 the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. 44 On the left were their kinsmen, the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, 45 the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, 46 the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, 47 the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. 48 Their fellow Levites were assigned to every kind of service of the tabernacle, the house of God. 49 But Aaron and his sons did all the work of the Most Holy Place. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50 These were the descendants of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51 Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52 Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53 Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son. 54 Now these were the territories assigned to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clan for their settlements, because the first lot fell to them: 55 They were given Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands. 56 But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. 57 So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, 58 Hilen, Debir, 59 Ashan, Juttah, and Beth-shemesh, together with their pasturelands. 60 And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth, and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. So they had thirteen cities in all among their families. 61 To the rest of the Kohathites, ten cities were allotted from the half-tribe of Manasseh. 62 The Gershomites, according to their clans, were allotted thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan. 63 The Merarites, according to their clans, were allotted twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 64 So the Israelites gave to the Levites these cities and their pasturelands. 65 They assigned by lot the cities named above from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. 66 And some of the clans of the Kohathites were given cities from the tribe of Ephraim for their territory: 67 They were given Shechem (a city of refuge) with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, and Gezer, 68 Jokmeam, Beth-horon, 69 Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon, together with their pasturelands. 70 And from the half-tribe of Manasseh the rest of the clans of the Kohathites were given Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands. 71 The Gershomites received the following: From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh they were given Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands. 72 From the tribe of Issachar they were given Kedesh, Daberath, 73 Ramoth, and Anem, together with their pasturelands. 74 From the tribe of Asher they were given Mashal, Abdon, 75 Hukok, and Rehob, together with their pasturelands. 76 And from the tribe of Naphtali they were given Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands. 77 The Merarites (the rest of the Levites) received the following: From the tribe of Zebulun they were given Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands. 78 From the tribe of Reuben east of the Jordan opposite Jericho they were given Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah, 79 Kedemoth, and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands. 80 And from the tribe of Gad they were given Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, 81 Heshbon, and Jazer, together with their pasturelands.
Psalm 11
For the choirmaster. Of David. In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain! 2 For behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrow on the string to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. 3 If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” 4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men. 5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked; His soul hates the lover of violence. 6 On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur; a scorching wind will be their portion. 7 For the LORD is righteous; He loves justice. The upright will see His face.
Matthew 3
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’” 4 John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7 But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 13 At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” 15 “Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain.
How to SOAP
Grab a journal and a pen. Read the chapters above and watch for the verse that stops you. Then take it through four steps.
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Scripture
Write out the verse that stood out to you.
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Observation
What is it saying? Who is speaking, and to whom?
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Application
What does it mean for your life today? Be specific.
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Prayer
Talk to God about it. Ask Him to help you live it.
Your SOAP journal
Write your SOAP here. Tap any verse in the reading to add it to Scripture. Your journal saves on this device only, so no one else sees it.
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Why daily devotions?
Devotions are time set aside each day to read God's Word and let Him speak. The point isn't checking off chapters. It's meeting with Him.
Ten or fifteen minutes is enough to start. Pick a time and a place and keep the appointment. Mornings work well for a lot of us, before the phone and the day start talking.
Missed a day? Don't start over. Read today's chapters and keep going.