Daily Devotions · April 23
Reading for April 23
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
1 Samuel 27 · Psalm 141 · 1 Chronicles 9 · Matthew 10
1 Samuel 27 · Psalm 141 · 1 Chronicles 9 · Matthew 10, Berean Standard Bible
1 Samuel 27
David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.” 2 So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath. 3 David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. 4 And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him. 5 Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be assigned a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?” 6 That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah. 7 And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months. 8 Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) 9 Whenever David attacked a territory, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but he took the flocks and herds, the donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he would return to Achish, 10 who would ask him, “What have you raided today?” And David would reply, “The Negev of Judah,” or “The Negev of Jerahmeel,” or “The Negev of the Kenites.” 11 David did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Otherwise they will report us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” And this was David’s custom the whole time he lived in Philistine territory. 12 So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”
Psalm 141
A Psalm of David. I call upon You, O LORD; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to You. 2 May my prayer be set before You like incense; my uplifted hands, like the evening offering. 3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips. 4 Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing or take part in works of wickedness with men who do iniquity; let me not feast on their delicacies. 5 Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked. 6 When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasant. 7 As when one plows and breaks up the soil, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol. 8 But my eyes are fixed on You, O GOD the Lord. In You I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless. 9 Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, and from the lures of evildoers. 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.
1 Chronicles 9
So all Israel was recorded in the genealogies written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. But Judah was exiled to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness. 2 Now the first to resettle their own property in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants. 3 Some of the descendants of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem: 4 Uthai son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, a descendant of Perez son of Judah. 5 From the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn and his sons. 6 From the Zerahites: Jeuel and 690 relatives. 7 From the Benjamites: Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah; 8 Ibneiah son of Jeroham; Elah son of Uzzi, the son of Michri; Meshullam son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah; 9 and 956 of their relatives according to their genealogy. All these men were heads of their families. 10 From the priests: Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin; 11 Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief official of God’s temple; 12 Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah; Maasai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer; 13 and 1,760 of their relatives, the heads of their families, able men for the work of the service of the house of God. 14 From the Levites: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a descendant of Merari; 15 Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph; 16 Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun; and Berechiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites. 17 These were the gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives. Shallum was their chief; 18 he was previously stationed at the King’s Gate on the east side. These were the gatekeepers from the camp of the Levites. 19 Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his relatives from the Korahites were assigned to guard the thresholds of the Tent, just as their fathers had been assigned to guard the entrance to the dwelling of the LORD. 20 In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with him. 21 Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 22 The number of those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds was 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their positions of trust. 23 So they and their descendants were assigned to guard the gates of the house of the LORD—the house called the Tent. 24 The gatekeepers were stationed on the four sides: east, west, north, and south. 25 Their relatives came from their villages at fixed times to serve with them for seven-day periods. 26 But the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the rooms and the treasuries of the house of God. 27 They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they were responsible for guarding it and opening it every morning. 28 Some of them were in charge of the articles used in worship, to count them whenever they were brought in or taken out. 29 Others were put in charge of the furnishings and other articles of the sanctuary, as well as the fine flour, wine, oil, frankincense, and spices. 30 And some of the sons of the priests mixed the spices. 31 A Levite named Mattithiah, the firstborn son of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with baking the bread. 32 Some of their Kohathite relatives were responsible for preparing the rows of the showbread every Sabbath. 33 Those who were musicians, the heads of Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other duties because they were on duty day and night. 34 All these were heads of Levite families, chiefs according to their genealogies, and they lived in Jerusalem. 35 Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah. 36 Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab, 37 Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth. 38 Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. They too lived alongside their relatives in Jerusalem. 39 Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal. 40 The son of Jonathan: Merib-baal, who was the father of Micah. 41 The sons of Micah: Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz. 42 Ahaz was the father of Jarah; Jarah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri was the father of Moza. 43 Moza was the father of Binea. Rephaiah was his son, Elasah his son, and Azel his son. 44 And Azel had six sons, and these were their names: Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.
Matthew 10
And calling His twelve disciples to Him, Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. 9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts. 10 Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy there and stay at his house until you move on. 12 As you enter the home, greet its occupants. 13 If the home is worthy, let your peace rest on it, but if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not welcome you or heed your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18 On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. 20 For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! 26 So do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32 Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. 34 Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37 Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; 38 and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 40 He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the One who sent Me. 41 Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”
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.