Daily Devotions · January 12
Reading for January 12
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
Genesis 29–30 · Luke 12
Genesis 29–30 · Luke 12, Berean Standard Bible
Genesis 29
Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. 2 He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well. 3 When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well. 4 “My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered. 5 “Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied. 6 “Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.” 7 “Look,” said Jacob, “it is still broad daylight; it is not yet time to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.” 8 But they replied, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.” 9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father. 13 When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened. 14 Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month, 15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. 17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. 18 Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her. 21 Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.” 22 So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast. 23 But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant. 25 When morning came, there was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to Laban. “Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?” 26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older. 27 Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.” 28 And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. 30 Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years. 31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.” 33 Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Simeon. 34 Once again Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi. 35 And once more she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.
Genesis 30
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob. 2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?” 3 Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.” 4 So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her, 5 and Bilhah conceived and bore him a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; He has heard my plea and given me a son.” So she named him Dan. 7 And Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “In my great struggles, I have wrestled with my sister and won.” So she named him Naphtali. 9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. 10 And Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad. 12 When Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, 13 Leah said, “How happy I am! For the women call me happy.” So she named him Asher. 14 Now during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother, Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15 But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes as well?” “Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night. 17 And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob. 18 Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. 19 Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 “God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she named him Zebulun. 21 After that, Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. 22 Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb, 23 and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said. 24 She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.” 25 Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland. 26 Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you.” 27 But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.” 28 And he added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.” 29 Then Jacob answered, “You know how I have served you and how your livestock have thrived under my care. 30 Indeed, you had very little before my arrival, but now your wealth has increased many times over. The LORD has blessed you wherever I set foot. But now, when may I also provide for my own household?” 31 “What can I give you?” Laban asked. “You do not need to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you do this one thing for me, I will keep on shepherding and keeping your flocks. 32 Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages. 33 So my honesty will testify for me when you come to check on my wages in the future. If I have any goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not dark-colored, they will be considered stolen.” 34 “Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” 35 That very day Laban removed all the streaked or spotted male goats and every speckled or spotted female goat—every one that had any white on it—and every dark-colored lamb, and he placed them under the care of his sons. 36 Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was shepherding the rest of Laban’s flocks. 37 Jacob, however, took fresh branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled the bark, exposing the white inner wood of the branches. 38 Then he set the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of the flocks coming in to drink. So when the flocks were in heat and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 40 Jacob set apart the young, but made the rest face the streaked dark-colored sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and did not put them with Laban’s animals. 41 Whenever the stronger females of the flock were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs, in full view of the animals, so that they would breed in front of the branches. 42 But if the animals were weak, he did not set out the branches. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob. 43 Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.
Luke 12
In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. 3 What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops. 4 I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 8 I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God. 9 But whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say. 12 For at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.” 13 Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?” 15 And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. 17 So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. 19 Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ 21 This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.” 22 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 So if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it. 30 For the Gentiles of the world strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you. 32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 35 Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning. 36 Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them. 38 Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, those servants will be blessed. 39 But understand this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.” 41 “Lord,” said Peter, “are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” 42 And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded. 49 I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” 54 Then Jesus said to the crowds, “As soon as you see a cloud rising in the west, you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and that is what happens. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It will be hot,’ and it is. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you know how to interpret the present time? 57 And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 Make every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.”
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
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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.