Daily Devotions · May 10
Reading for May 10
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
2 Samuel 18 · Psalm 56 · Matthew 27
2 Samuel 18 · Psalm 56 · Matthew 27, Berean Standard Bible
2 Samuel 18
Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds. 2 He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.” 3 But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will not care about us. Even if half of us die, they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better now if you support us from the city.” 4 “I will do whatever seems best to you,” the king replied. So he stood beside the gate, while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands. 5 Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom. 6 So David’s army marched into the field to engage Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. 7 There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men. 8 The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword. 9 Now Absalom was riding on his mule when he met the servants of David, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s head was caught fast in the tree. The mule under him kept going, so that he was suspended in midair. 10 When one of the men saw this, he told Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!” 11 “You just saw him!” Joab exclaimed. “Why did you not strike him to the ground right there? I would have given you ten shekels of silver and a warrior’s belt!” 12 The man replied, “Even if a thousand shekels of silver were weighed out into my hands, I would not raise my hand against the son of the king. For we heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.’ 13 If I had jeopardized my own life—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.” 14 But Joab declared, “I am not going to wait like this with you!” And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak tree. 15 And ten young men who carried Joab’s armor surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him. 16 Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and the troops broke off their pursuit of Israel because Joab had restrained them. 17 They took Absalom, cast him into a large pit in the forest, and piled a huge mound of stones over him. Meanwhile, all the Israelites fled, each to his home. 18 During his lifetime, Absalom had set up for himself a pillar in the King’s Valley, for he had said, “I have no son to preserve the memory of my name.” So he gave the pillar his name, and to this day it is called Absalom’s Monument. 19 Then Ahimaaz son of Zadok said, “Please let me run and tell the king the good news that the LORD has avenged him of his enemies.” 20 But Joab replied, “You are not the man to take good news today. You may do it another day, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.” 21 So Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed to Joab and took off running. 22 Ahimaaz son of Zadok, however, persisted and said to Joab, “No matter what, please let me also run behind the Cushite!” “My son,” Joab replied, “why do you want to run, since you will not receive a reward?” 23 “No matter what, I want to run!” he replied. “Then run!” Joab told him. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite. 24 Now David was sitting between the two gates when the watchman went up to the roof of the gateway by the wall, looked out, and saw a man running alone. 25 So he called out and told the king. “If he is alone,” the king replied, “he bears good news.” As the first runner drew near, 26 the watchman saw another man running, and he called out to the gatekeeper, “Look! Another man is running alone!” “This one also brings good news,” said the king. 27 The watchman said, “The first man appears to me to be running like Ahimaaz son of Zadok.” “This is a good man,” said the king. “He comes with good news.” 28 Then Ahimaaz called out to the king, “All is well!” And he bowed facedown before the king. He continued, “Blessed be the LORD your God! He has delivered up the men who raised their hands against my lord the king.” 29 The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.” 30 “Move aside,” said the king, “and stand here.” So he stepped aside. 31 Just then the Cushite came and said, “May my lord the king hear the good news: Today the LORD has avenged you of all who rose up against you!” 32 The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And the Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you to harm you be like that young man.” 33 The king was shaken and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he walked, he cried out, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
Psalm 56
For the choirmaster. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be merciful to me, O God, for men are hounding me; all day they press their attack. 2 My enemies pursue me all day long, for many proudly assail me. 3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. 4 In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? 5 All day long they twist my words; all their thoughts are on my demise. 6 They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps while they wait to take my life. 7 In spite of such sin, will they escape? In Your anger, O God, cast down the nations. 8 You have taken account of my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle—are they not in Your book? 9 Then my enemies will retreat on the day I cry for help. By this I will know that God is on my side. 10 In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, 11 in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? 12 Your vows are upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to You. 13 For You have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.
Matthew 27
When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death. 2 They bound Him, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate the governor. 3 When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. 4 “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What is that to us?” they replied. “You bear the responsibility.” 5 So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. 6 The chief priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is unlawful to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 After conferring together, they used the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8 That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on Him by the people of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord had commanded me.” 11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, who questioned Him: “Are You the King of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. 12 And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked Him, “Do You not hear how many charges they are bringing against You?” 14 But Jesus gave no answer, not even to a single charge, much to the governor’s amazement. 15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the feast to release to the crowd a prisoner of their choosing. 16 At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had assembled, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. 19 While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.” 20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus put to death. 21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they replied. 22 “What then should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify Him!” 23 “Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!” 24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that instead a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “You bear the responsibility.” 25 All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified. 27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company around Him. 28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand, knelt down before Him, and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spit on Him and took the staff and struck Him on the head repeatedly. 31 After they had mocked Him, they removed the robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him. 32 Along the way they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross of Jesus. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull, 34 they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37 Above His head they posted the written charge against Him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38 Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right and the other on His left. 39 And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” 41 In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying, 42 “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way, even the robbers who were crucified with Him berated Him. 45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He is calling Elijah.” 48 One of them quickly ran and brought a sponge. He filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, and held it up for Jesus to drink. 49 But the others said, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to save Him.” 50 When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit. 51 At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people. 54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.” 55 And many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to Him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. 57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut into the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. 62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees assembled before Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order that the tomb be secured until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him away and tell the people He has risen from the dead. And this last deception would be worse than the first.” 65 “You have a guard,” Pilate said. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and secured the tomb by sealing the stone and posting the guard.
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.