Daily Devotions · October 20
Reading for October 20
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
Job 6–8 · Acts 12
Job 6–8 · Acts 12, Berean Standard Bible
Job 6
Then Job replied: 2 “If only my grief could be weighed and placed with my calamity on the scales. 3 For then it would outweigh the sand of the seas—no wonder my words have been rash. 4 For the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me; my spirit drinks in their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me. 5 Does a wild donkey bray over fresh grass, or an ox low over its fodder? 6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the white of an egg? 7 My soul refuses to touch them; they are loathsome food to me. 8 If only my request were granted and God would fulfill my hope: 9 that God would be willing to crush me, to unleash His hand and cut me off! 10 It still brings me comfort, and joy through unrelenting pain, that I have not denied the words of the Holy One. 11 What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What is my future, that I should be patient? 12 Is my strength like that of stone, or my flesh made of bronze? 13 Is there any help within me now that success is driven from me? 14 A despairing man should have the kindness of his friend, even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. 15 But my brothers are as faithless as wadis, as seasonal streams that overflow, 16 darkened because of the ice and the inflow of melting snow, 17 but ceasing in the dry season and vanishing from their channels in the heat. 18 Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish. 19 The caravans of Tema look for water; the travelers of Sheba hope to find it. 20 They are confounded because they had hoped; their arrival brings disappointment. 21 For now you are of no help; you see terror, and you are afraid. 22 Have I ever said, ‘Give me something; offer me a bribe from your wealth; 23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy; redeem me from the grasp of the ruthless’? 24 Teach me, and I will be silent. Help me understand how I have erred. 25 How painful are honest words! But what does your argument prove? 26 Do you intend to correct my words, and treat as wind my cry of despair? 27 You would even cast lots for an orphan and barter away your friend. 28 But now, please look at me. Would I lie to your face? 29 Reconsider; do not be unjust. Reconsider, for my righteousness is at stake. 30 Is there iniquity on my tongue? Can my mouth not discern malice?
Job 7
“Is not man consigned to labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired hand? 2 Like a slave he longs for shade; like a hireling he waits for his wages. 3 So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are appointed to me. 4 When I lie down I think: ‘When will I get up?’ But the night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn. 5 My flesh is clothed with worms and encrusted with dirt; my skin is cracked and festering. 6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope. 7 Remember that my life is but a breath. My eyes will never again see happiness. 8 The eye that beholds me will no longer see me. You will look for me, but I will be no more. 9 As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to Sheol does not come back up. 10 He never returns to his house; his place remembers him no more. 11 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. 12 Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep, that You must keep me under guard? 13 When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, 14 then You frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions, 15 so that I would prefer strangling and death over my life in this body. 16 I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath. 17 What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him, 18 that You attend to him every morning, and test him every moment? 19 Will You never look away from me, or leave me alone to swallow my spittle? 20 If I have sinned, what have I done to You, O watcher of mankind? Why have You made me Your target, so that I am a burden to You? 21 Why do You not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For soon I will lie down in the dust; You will seek me, but I will be no more.”
Job 8
Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: 2 “How long will you go on saying such things? The words of your mouth are a blustering wind. 3 Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right? 4 When your children sinned against Him, He gave them over to their rebellion. 5 But if you would earnestly seek God and ask the Almighty for mercy, 6 if you are pure and upright, even now He will rouse Himself on your behalf and restore your righteous estate. 7 Though your beginnings were modest, your latter days will flourish. 8 Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers. 9 For we were born yesterday and know nothing; our days on earth are but a shadow. 10 Will they not teach you and tell you, and speak from their understanding? 11 Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Do reeds flourish without water? 12 While the shoots are still uncut, they dry up more quickly than grass. 13 Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so the hope of the godless will perish. 14 His confidence is fragile; his security is in a spider’s web. 15 He leans on his web, but it gives way; he holds fast, but it does not endure. 16 He is a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden. 17 His roots wrap around the rock heap; he looks for a home among the stones. 18 If he is uprooted from his place, it will disown him, saying, ‘I never saw you.’ 19 Surely this is the joy of his way; yet others will spring from the dust. 20 Behold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers. 21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with a shout of joy. 22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”
Acts 12
About that time, King Herod reached out to harm some who belonged to the church. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 And seeing that this pleased the Jews, Herod proceeded to seize Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 4 He arrested him and put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was fervently praying to God for him. 6 On the night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, with sentries standing guard at the entrance to the prison. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 “Get dressed and put on your sandals,” said the angel. Peter did so, and the angel told him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 So Peter followed him out, but he was unaware that what the angel was doing was real. He thought he was only seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him. 11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.” 12 And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying. 13 He knocked at the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she forgot to open the gate, but ran inside and announced, “Peter is standing at the gate!” 15 “You are out of your mind,” they told her. But when she kept insisting it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” 16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astounded. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place. 18 At daybreak there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had searched for him unsuccessfully, he examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent some time there. 20 Now Herod was in a furious dispute with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they convened before him. Having secured the support of Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their region depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people. 22 And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!” 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. 24 But the word of God continued to spread and multiply. 25 When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, bringing with them John, also called Mark.
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.
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.