Daily Devotions · July 1
Reading for July 1
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
Isaiah 1–3 · Titus 3
Isaiah 1–3 · Titus 3, Berean Standard Bible
Isaiah 1
This is the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2 Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me. 3 The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.” 4 Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who act corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him. 5 Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted. 6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil. 7 Your land is desolate; your cities are burned with fire. Foreigners devour your fields before you—a desolation demolished by strangers. 8 And the Daughter of Zion is abandoned like a shelter in a vineyard, like a shack in a cucumber field, like a city besieged. 9 Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah. 10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah! 11 “What good to Me is your multitude of sacrifices?” says the LORD. “I am full from the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I take no delight in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? 13 Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. 14 I hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16 Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil! 17 Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.” 18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land. 20 But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. 21 See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness resided within her, but now only murderers! 22 Your silver has become dross; your fine wine is diluted with water. 23 Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them. 24 Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah, I will be relieved of My foes and avenge Myself on My enemies. 25 I will turn My hand against you; I will thoroughly purge your dross; I will remove all your impurities. 26 I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning. After that you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.” 27 Zion will be redeemed with justice, her repentant ones with righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners will together be shattered, and those who forsake the LORD will perish. 29 Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen. 30 For you will become like an oak whose leaves are withered, like a garden without water. 31 The strong man will become tinder and his work will be a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the flames.
Isaiah 2
This is the message that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2 In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 And many peoples will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor train anymore for war. 5 Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. 6 For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with influences from the east; they are soothsayers like the Philistines; they strike hands with the children of foreigners. 7 Their land is full of silver and gold, with no limit to their treasures; their land is full of horses, with no limit to their chariots. 8 Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. 9 So mankind is brought low, and man is humbled—do not forgive them! 10 Go into the rocks and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty. 11 The proud look of man will be humbled, and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. 12 For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is exalted—it will be humbled— 13 against all the cedars of Lebanon, lofty and lifted up, against all the oaks of Bashan, 14 against all the tall mountains, against all the high hills, 15 against every high tower, against every fortified wall, 16 against every ship of Tarshish, and against every stately vessel. 17 So the pride of man will be brought low, and the loftiness of men will be humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, 18 and the idols will vanish completely. 19 Men will flee to caves in the rocks and holes in the ground, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth. 20 In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold—the idols they made to worship. 21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks and crevices in the cliffs, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth. 22 Put no more trust in man, who has only the breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?
Isaiah 3
For behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: the whole supply of food and water, 2 the mighty man and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the soothsayer and the elder, 3 the commander of fifty and the dignitary, the counselor, the cunning magician, and the clever enchanter. 4 “I will make mere lads their leaders, and children will rule over them.” 5 The people will oppress one another, man against man, neighbor against neighbor; the young will rise up against the old, and the base against the honorable. 6 A man will seize his brother within his father’s house: “You have a cloak—you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of rubble.” 7 On that day he will cry aloud: “I am not a healer. I have no food or clothing in my house. Do not make me leader of the people!” 8 For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen because they spoke and acted against the LORD, defying His glorious presence. 9 The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves. 10 Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor. 11 Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done. 12 Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths. 13 The LORD arises to contend; He stands to judge the people. 14 The LORD brings this charge against the elders and leaders of His people: “You have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses. 15 Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts. 16 The LORD also says: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty—walking with heads held high and wanton eyes, prancing and skipping as they go, jingling the bracelets on their ankles— 17 the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will make their foreheads bare.” 18 In that day the Lord will take away their finery: their anklets and headbands and crescents; 19 their pendants, bracelets, and veils; 20 their headdresses, ankle chains, and sashes; their perfume bottles and charms; 21 their signet rings and nose rings; 22 their festive robes, capes, cloaks, and purses; 23 and their mirrors, linen garments, tiaras, and shawls. 24 Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of styled hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, shame. 25 Your men will fall by the sword, and your warriors in battle. 26 And the gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.
Titus 3
Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work, 2 to malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone. 3 For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6 This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life. 8 This saying is trustworthy. And I want you to emphasize these things, so that those who have believed God will take care to devote themselves to good deeds. These things are excellent and profitable for the people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless. 10 Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a man is corrupt and sinful; he is self-condemned. 12 As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there. 13 Do your best to equip Zenas the lawyer and Apollos, so that they will have everything they need. 14 And our people must also learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet the pressing needs of others, so that they will not be unfruitful. 15 All who are with me send you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with all of you.
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.