Daily Devotions · April 19
Reading for April 19
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
1 Samuel 22 · Psalm 17, 35 · Matthew 6
1 Samuel 22 · Psalm 17, 35 · Matthew 6, Berean Standard Bible
1 Samuel 22
So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. 2 And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him. 3 From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I learn what God will do for me.” 4 So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold. 5 Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth. 6 Soon Saul learned that David and his men had been discovered. At that time Saul was sitting under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with his spear in hand and all his servants standing around him. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds? 8 Is that why all of you have conspired against me? Not one of you told me that my own son had made a covenant with the son of Jesse. Not one of you has shown concern for me or revealed to me that my son has stirred up my own servant to lie in wait against me, as is the case today.” 9 But Doeg the Edomite, who had stationed himself with Saul’s servants, answered: “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. 10 Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” 11 Then the king sent messengers to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and his father’s whole family, who were priests at Nob. And all of them came to the king. 12 “Listen now, son of Ahitub,” said Saul. “Here I am, my lord,” he replied. 13 And Saul asked him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him so that he could rise up against me to lie in wait, as he is doing today.” 14 Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard and honored in your house? 15 Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair—not in part or in whole.” 16 But the king replied, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!” 17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they did not tell me.” But the king’s servants would not lift a hand to strike the priests of the LORD. 18 So the king ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests!” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests himself. On that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 He also put to the sword Nob, the city of the priests, with its men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep. 20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David. 21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that Doeg the Edomite was there that day, and that he was sure to tell Saul. I myself am responsible for the lives of everyone in your father’s house. 23 Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks your life is seeking mine as well. You will be safe with me.”
Psalm 17
A prayer of David. Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer—it comes from lips free of deceit. 2 May my vindication come from Your presence; may Your eyes see what is right. 3 You have tried my heart; You have visited me in the night. You have tested me and found no evil; I have resolved not to sin with my mouth. 4 As for the deeds of men—by the word of Your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. 5 My steps have held to Your paths; my feet have not slipped. 6 I call on You, O God, for You will answer me. Incline Your ear to me; hear my words. 7 Show the wonders of Your loving devotion, You who save by Your right hand those who seek refuge from their foes. 8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings 9 from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. 10 They have closed their callous hearts; their mouths speak with arrogance. 11 They have tracked us down, and now surround us; their eyes are set to cast us to the ground, 12 like a lion greedy for prey, like a young lion lurking in ambush. 13 Arise, O LORD, confront them! Bring them to their knees; deliver me from the wicked by Your sword, 14 from such men, O LORD, by Your hand—from men of the world whose portion is in this life. May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons, so they leave their abundance to their children. 15 As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied in Your presence.
Psalm 35
Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me. 2 Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. 3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation.” 4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded. 5 May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away. 6 May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues. 7 For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul. 8 May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created. 9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation. 10 All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?” 11 Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about. 12 They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul. 13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered. 14 I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother. 15 But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing. 16 Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me. 17 How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. 18 Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people. 19 Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice. 20 For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful schemes against those who live quietly in the land. 21 They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!” 22 O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me. 23 Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord! 24 Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me. 25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!” 26 May those who gloat in my distress be ashamed and confounded; may those who exalt themselves over me be clothed in shame and reproach. 27 May those who favor my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD who delights in His servant’s well-being.” 28 Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.
Matthew 6
“Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 9 So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours. 16 When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.
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.
Added to your journal. Go to journal
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.