Daily Devotions · September 27
Reading for September 27
Read the whole Bible in a year, a few chapters a day.
Haggai 1–2 · Psalm 129 · Luke 10
Haggai 1–2 · Psalm 129 · Luke 10, Berean Standard Bible
Haggai 1
In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, stating 2 that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.’” 3 Then the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?” 5 Now this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Consider carefully your ways. 6 You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.” 7 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Consider carefully your ways. 8 Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the LORD. 9 You expected much, but behold, it amounted to little. And what you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the LORD of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 Therefore, on account of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth has withheld its crops. 11 I have summoned a drought on the fields and on the mountains, on the grain, new wine, and oil, and on whatever the ground yields, on man and beast, and on all the labor of your hands.” 12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as well as all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. So the people feared the LORD. 13 Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, delivered the message of the LORD to the people: “I am with you,” declares the LORD. 14 So the LORD stirred the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as well as the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and began the work on the house of the LORD of Hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.
Haggai 2
On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and also to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not appear to you like nothing in comparison?’ 4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. And be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work! For I am with you, declares the LORD of Hosts. 5 This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt. And My Spirit remains among you; do not be afraid.” 6 For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and they will come with all their treasures, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of Hosts. 8 The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, declares the LORD of Hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former, says the LORD of Hosts. And in this place I will provide peace, declares the LORD of Hosts.” 10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Ask the priests for a ruling. 12 If a man carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does that item become holy?’” “No,” replied the priests. 13 So Haggai asked, “If one who is defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?” “Yes, it becomes defiled,” the priests answered. 14 Then Haggai replied, “So it is with this people and this nation before Me, declares the LORD, and so it is with every work of their hands; whatever they offer there is defiled. 15 Now consider carefully from this day forward: Before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD, 16 from that time, when one came expecting a heap of twenty ephahs of grain, there were but ten. When one came to the winepress to draw out fifty baths, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you—all the work of your hands—with blight, mildew, and hail, but you did not turn to Me, declares the LORD. 18 Consider carefully from this day forward—from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid—consider carefully: 19 Is there still seed in the barn? The vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet yielded fruit. But from this day on, I will bless you.” 20 For the second time that day, the twenty-fourth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to Haggai, saying, 21 “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth: 22 I will overturn royal thrones and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn chariots and their riders; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will take you, My servant, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and I will make you like My signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of Hosts.”
Psalm 129
A song of ascents. Many a time they have persecuted me from my youth—let Israel now declare— 2 many a time they have persecuted me from my youth, but they have not prevailed against me. 3 The plowmen plowed over my back; they made their furrows long. 4 The LORD is righteous; He has cut me from the cords of the wicked. 5 May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame. 6 May they be like grass on the rooftops, which withers before it can grow, 7 unable to fill the hands of the reaper, or the arms of the binder of sheaves. 8 May none who pass by say to them, “The blessing of the LORD be on you; we bless you in the name of the LORD.”
Luke 10
After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place He was about to visit. 2 And He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Carry no purse or bag or sandals. Do not greet anyone along the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, begin by saying, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever you are offered. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house. 8 If you enter a town and they welcome you, eat whatever is set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ 10 But if you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go into the streets and declare, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off as a testimony against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 13 Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! 16 Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.” 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.” 18 So He told them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 21 At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight. 22 All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” 23 Then Jesus turned to the disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” 25 One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus said. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus took up this question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, when a Levite came to that spot and saw him, he passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he said, ‘and on my return I will repay you for any additional expense.’ 36 Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 “The one who showed him mercy,” replied the expert in the law. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” 38 As they traveled along, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things. 42 But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”
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.