Daily Devotions · April 20
Reading for April 20
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
1 Samuel 23 · Psalm 31, 54 · Matthew 7
1 Samuel 23 · Psalm 31, 54 · Matthew 7, Berean Standard Bible
1 Samuel 23
Now it was reported to David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and looting the threshing floors.” 2 So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 3 But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” 5 Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, and carried off their livestock, striking them with a mighty blow. So David saved the people of Keilah. 6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.) 7 When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” 8 Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men. 9 When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” 10 And David said, “O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.” “He will,” said the LORD. 12 So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD. 13 Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth. 14 And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand. 15 While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. 16 And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God, 17 saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.” 18 So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home. 19 Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon? 20 Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.” 21 “May you be blessed by the LORD,” replied Saul, “for you have had compassion on me. 22 Please go and prepare further. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning. 23 Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.” 24 So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon, 25 and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there. 26 Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. 27 Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!” 28 So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth. 29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.
Psalm 31
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; save me by Your righteousness. 2 Incline Your ear to me; come quickly to my rescue. Be my rock of refuge, the stronghold of my deliverance. 3 For You are my rock and my fortress; lead me and guide me for the sake of Your name. 4 You free me from the net laid out for me, for You are my refuge. 5 Into Your hands I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD, God of truth. 6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols, but in the LORD I trust. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your loving devotion, for You have seen my affliction; You have known the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not delivered me to the enemy; You have set my feet in the open. 9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes fail from sorrow, my soul and body as well. 10 For my life is consumed with grief and my years with groaning; my iniquity has drained my strength, and my bones are wasting away. 11 Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neighbors even more. I am dreaded by my friends—they flee when they see me on the street. 12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind. I am like a broken vessel. 13 For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side. They conspire against me and plot to take my life. 14 But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. 16 Make Your face shine on Your servant; save me by Your loving devotion. 17 O LORD, let me not be ashamed, for I have called on You. Let the wicked be put to shame; let them lie silent in Sheol. 18 May lying lips be silenced—lips that speak with arrogance against the righteous, full of pride and contempt. 19 How great is Your goodness which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have bestowed before the sons of men on those who take refuge in You! 20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the schemes of men. You conceal them in Your shelter from accusing tongues. 21 Blessed be the LORD, for He has shown me His loving devotion in a city under siege. 22 In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from Your sight!” But You heard my plea for mercy when I called to You for help. 23 Love the LORD, all His saints. The LORD preserves the faithful, but fully repays the arrogant. 24 Be strong and courageous, all you who hope in the LORD.
Psalm 54
For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went to Saul and said, “Is David not hiding among us?” Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might! 2 Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. 3 For strangers rise up against me, and ruthless men seek my life—men with no regard for God. Selah 4 Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul. 5 He will reward my enemies with evil. In Your faithfulness, destroy them. 6 Freely I will sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good. 7 For He has delivered me from every trouble, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.
Matthew 7
“Do not judge, or you will be judged. 2 For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. 7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets. 13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15 Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’ 24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!” 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, 29 because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
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.
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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.