Daily Devotions · March 18
Reading for March 18
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
Joshua 1–2 · Psalm 37 · 1 Corinthians 3
Joshua 1–2 · Psalm 37 · 1 Corinthians 3, Berean Standard Bible
Joshua 1
Now after the death of His servant Moses, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, you and all these people, and cross over the Jordan into the land that I am giving to the children of Israel. 3 I have given you every place where the sole of your foot will tread, just as I promised to Moses. 4 Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and west as far as the Great Sea. 5 No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give these people the inheritance of the land that I swore to their fathers I would give them. 7 Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” 10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people: 11 “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you will cross the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’” 12 But to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13 “Remember what Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you when he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your young children, and your livestock may remain in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But all your mighty men of valor must be armed for battle to cross over ahead of your brothers and help them, 15 until the LORD gives them rest as He has done for you, and your brothers also possess the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you may return to the land of your inheritance and take possession of that which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the east side of the Jordan.” 16 So they answered Joshua, “Everything you have commanded us we will do, and everywhere you send us we will go. 17 Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. And may the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. 18 Anyone who rebels against your order and does not obey your words, all that you command him, will be put to death. Above all, be strong and courageous!”
Joshua 2
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. 2 And it was reported to the king of Jericho: “Behold, some men of Israel have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab and said, “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, for they have come to spy out the whole land.” 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. So she said, “Yes, the men did come to me, but I did not know where they had come from. 5 At dusk, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I do not know which way they went. Pursue them quickly, and you may catch them!” 6 (But Rahab had taken them up to the roof and hidden them among the stalks of flax that she had laid out there.) 7 So the king’s men set out in pursuit of the spies along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they had gone out, the gate was shut. 8 Before the spies lay down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof 9 and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of you. 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites across the Jordan, whom you devoted to destruction. 11 When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below. 12 Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that you will indeed show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will deliver us from death.” 14 “Our lives for your lives!” the men agreed. “If you do not report our mission, we will show you kindness and faithfulness when the LORD gives us the land.” 15 Then Rahab let them down by a rope through the window, since the house where she lived was built into the wall of the city. 16 “Go to the hill country,” she said, “so that your pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there for three days until they have returned; then go on your way.” 17 The men said to her, “We will not be bound by this oath you made us swear 18 unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother and brothers and all your family into your house. 19 If anyone goes out the door of your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head, and we will be innocent. But if a hand is laid on anyone with you in the house, his blood will be on our heads. 20 And if you report our mission, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.” 21 “Let it be as you say,” she replied, and she sent them away. And when they had gone, she tied the scarlet cord in the window. 22 So the spies went out into the hill country and stayed there three days, until their pursuers had returned without finding them, having searched all along the road. 23 Then the two men started back, came down from the hill country, and crossed the river. So they came to Joshua son of Nun and reported all that had happened to them. 24 “The LORD has surely delivered the entire land into our hands,” they said to Joshua. “Indeed, all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of us.”
Psalm 37
Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. 2 For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants. 3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm. 9 For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. 10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. 11 But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity. 12 The wicked scheme against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them, 13 but the Lord laughs, seeing that their day is coming. 14 The wicked have drawn the sword and bent the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. 15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. 16 Better is the little of the righteous than the abundance of many who are wicked. 17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. 18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will last forever. 19 In the time of evil they will not be ashamed, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied. 20 But the wicked and enemies of the LORD will perish like the glory of the fields. They will vanish; like smoke they will fade away. 21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving. 22 Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed. 23 The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey. 24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand. 25 I once was young and now am old, yet never have I seen the righteous abandoned or their children begging for bread. 26 They are ever generous and quick to lend, and their children are a blessing. 27 Turn away from evil and do good, so that you will abide forever. 28 For the LORD loves justice and will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off. 29 The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter. 32 Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them, 33 the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned under judgment. 34 Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. 35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree, 36 yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found. 37 Consider the blameless and observe the upright, for posterity awaits the man of peace. 38 But the transgressors will all be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off. 39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their stronghold in time of trouble. 40 The LORD helps and delivers them; He rescues and saves them from the wicked, because they take refuge in Him.
1 Corinthians 3
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man? 4 For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? 5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role. 6 I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames. 16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. 18 Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” 20 And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 Therefore, stop boasting in men. All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All of them belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
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.
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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.