Daily Devotions · June 5
Reading for June 5
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
Proverbs 30–31 · Psalm 33 · Ephesians 1
Proverbs 30–31 · Psalm 33 · Ephesians 1, Berean Standard Bible
Proverbs 30
These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God, and worn out. 2 Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man. 3 I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. 4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son—surely you know! 5 Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. 6 Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar. 7 Two things I ask of You—do not refuse me before I die: 8 Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion. 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God. 10 Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt. 11 There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. 12 There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth. 13 There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances— 14 there is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are knives, devouring the oppressed from the earth and the needy from among men. 15 The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: 16 Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’ 17 As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it. 18 There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand: 19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden. 20 This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’ 21 Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: 22 a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food, 23 an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress. 24 Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise: 25 The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; 26 the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks; 27 the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation; 28 and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings. 29 There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk: 30 a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything; 31 a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him. 32 If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth. 33 For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”
Proverbs 31
These are the words of King Lemuel—the burden that his mother taught him: 2 What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows? 3 Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink, 5 lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice. 6 Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul. 7 Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. 8 Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy. 10 A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life. 13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. 15 She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants. 16 She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong. 18 She sees that her gain is good, and her lamp is not extinguished at night. 19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. 20 She opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for they are all clothed in scarlet. 22 She makes coverings for her bed; her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known at the city gates, where he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchants. 25 Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her as well: 29 “Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!” 30 Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.
Psalm 33
Rejoice in the LORD, O righteous ones; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him. 2 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to Him with ten strings. 3 Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all His work is trustworthy. 5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His loving devotion. 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth. 7 He piles up the waters of the sea; He puts the depths into storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere Him. 9 For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples. 11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His inheritance! 13 The LORD looks down from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. 14 From His dwelling place He gazes on all who inhabit the earth. 15 He shapes the hearts of each; He considers all their works. 16 No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save. 18 Surely the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His loving devotion 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our hearts rejoice in Him, since we trust in His holy name. 22 May Your loving devotion rest on us, O LORD, as we put our hope in You.
Ephesians 1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. 4 For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love 5 He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to bring all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ. 11 In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory. 13 And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory. 15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. 18 I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength, 20 which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
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.