Daily Devotions · October 24
Reading for October 24
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
Job 15 · Acts 19–20
Job 15 · Acts 19–20, Berean Standard Bible
Job 15
Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: 2 “Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill his belly with the hot east wind? 3 Should he argue with useless words or speeches that serve no purpose? 4 But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before Him. 5 For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty. 6 Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you. 7 Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills? 8 Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself? 9 What do you know that we do not? What do you understand that is not clear to us? 10 Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side—men much older than your father. 11 Are the consolations of God not enough for you, even words spoken gently to you? 12 Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash, 13 so that you turn your spirit against God and pour such words from your mouth? 14 What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous? 15 If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes, 16 how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water? 17 Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen, 18 what was declared by wise men and was not concealed from their fathers, 19 to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them. 20 A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless. 21 Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him. 22 He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword. 23 He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand. 24 Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack. 25 For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty, 26 rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield. 27 Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with flesh, 28 he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become rubble. 29 He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land. 30 He will not escape from the darkness; the flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away. 31 Let him not deceive himself with trust in emptiness, for emptiness will be his reward. 32 It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish. 33 He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms. 34 For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery. 35 They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”
Acts 19
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 “Into what, then, were you baptized?” Paul asked. “The baptism of John,” they replied. 4 Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all. 8 Then Paul went into the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that everyone who lived in the province of Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the word of the Lord. 11 God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them. 13 Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 But one day the evil spirit responded, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked and wounded. 17 This became known to all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, and fear came over all of them. So the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20 So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail. 21 After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.” 22 He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia. 23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen. 25 Demetrius assembled the craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades. “Men,” he said, “you know that this business is our source of prosperity. 26 And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, this Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. 27 There is danger not only that our business will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited and her majesty deposed—she who is worshiped by all the province of Asia and the whole world.” 28 When the men heard this, they were enraged and began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. 30 Paul wanted to go before the assembly, but the disciples would not allow him. 31 Even some of Paul’s friends who were officials of the province of Asia sent word to him, begging him not to venture into the theatre. 32 Meanwhile the assembly was in turmoil. Some were shouting one thing and some another, and most of them did not even know why they were there. 33 The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people. 34 But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35 Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd and declared, “Men of Ephesus, doesn’t everyone know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? 36 Since these things are undeniable, you ought to be calm and not do anything rash. 37 For you have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed our temple nor blasphemed our goddess. 38 So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are available. Let them bring charges against one another there. 39 But if you are seeking anything beyond this, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40 For we are in jeopardy of being charged with rioting for today’s events, and we have no justification to account for this commotion.” 41 After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.
Acts 20
When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples. And after encouraging them, he said goodbye to them and left for Macedonia. 2 After traveling through that area and speaking many words of encouragement, he arrived in Greece, 3 where he stayed three months. And when the Jews formed a plot against him as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas. 6 And after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and five days later we rejoined them in Troas, where we stayed seven days. 7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Since Paul was ready to leave the next day, he talked to them and kept on speaking until midnight. 8 Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. 9 And a certain young man named Eutychus, seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!” 11 Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed. 12 And the people were greatly relieved to take the boy home alive. 13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, where we were to take Paul aboard. He had arranged this because he was going there on foot. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 Sailing on from there, we arrived the next day opposite Chios. The day after that we arrived at Samos, and on the following day we came to Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they came to him, he said, “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I arrived in the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, especially in the trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews. 20 I did not shrink back from declaring anything that was helpful to you as I taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me. 24 But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. 25 Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. 29 I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 32 And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions. 35 In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” 36 When Paul had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept openly as they embraced Paul and kissed him. 38 They were especially grieved by his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
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.