Daily Reading Week 20
Sunday
1 Peter (Focus v. 3:12–21; 4:10–11)
Discover:
As followers of Jesus, we should not be surprised when persecution or hardship comes our way. Suffering is simply part of what it means to follow Christ (1 Peter 2:21).
On our own, we could never endure it. But we are not on our own! God has given us the Holy Spirit, who helps us understand His Word and stand strong in our faith.
In His kindness, God also gave us the book of 1 Peter as an encouragement during tough times. It reminds us that we have been given a living hope, a salvation that can never be taken away (1:1-12). We now belong to God and will receive all the blessings He has promised His children (2:4-10).
Because of this, we are called to live holy, loving lives. That will not always be easy. It often brings suffering. Still, we are to patiently endure, submit to the authorities God has placed over us, and bless those who mistreat us instead of fighting back.
This does not mean we stay silent. When people notice our hope and ask why we live this way, we should be ready to answer them gently and respectfully.
In other words, every one of us is called to be an apologist. We must equip ourselves to defend our faith with humility and grace, so others can see the beauty of Christ in us.
Are you equipped to defend the faith? Have you studied the historical background of Scripture and the strong evidence for Christ’s resurrection so you can answer those who challenge our beliefs? As you respond to skeptics, are you careful to remain gentle and respectful? Take some time today to review solid evidence for the truth of Christianity. Then reflect on the gentleness of Christ and how you can imitate Him as you defend your faith.
Respond:
• Where is fear silencing your faith?
• Are you prepared to explain your hope?
• How can you serve boldly this week?
Monday
Acts 18 (focus v. 9–10)
Discover:
After a short stay in Athens, Paul traveled to Corinth, a bustling commercial city of about 650,000 people with a large Jewish population. At that time, Emperor Claudius had expelled Jews from Rome, so even more had settled there.
Among them were Aquila and Priscilla, a tentmaking couple. They welcomed the Gospel and let Paul work with them in their shop. Since Paul was also a tentmaker, this gave him many opportunities to talk about Jesus with Jews and others who visited the workshop (Acts 18:1-4).
Corinth was known for its wealth but also for its moral corruption. The local Jews were quick to reject Paul’s message and became hostile (Acts 18:5-6). So Paul left the synagogue and began meeting in the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who feared God. Soon afterward, Crispus, the synagogue leader, believed in Jesus along with his whole household (Acts 18:7-8).
This matched what Paul later wrote in Romans 11: when the Jews rejected the Gospel, the Gentiles received it, and this would eventually make the Jews jealous and draw them back to Christ.
Paul had already faced violent mobs in Thessalonica and Berea, and it looked like trouble was coming again. But Jesus spoke to him in a vision: “Do not be afraid.” When the Jews tried to have him arrested, the Roman proconsul Gallio dismissed the case and threw them out of court. The crowd then turned on the new synagogue leader Sosthenes and beat him, but Gallio did nothing. God was clearly protecting His church (Acts 18:9-17).
Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half. When the time came to leave, he shaved his head to complete a Nazirite vow, a sign that he had finished this part of his mission like a holy warrior for the Gospel. He then headed toward Jerusalem (Acts 18:18-22).
In the conquest of Canaan, enemy cities were offered to God as whole burnt offerings. At Pentecost, flames of fire came upon God’s new people, who then carried His holy war forward by preaching the Gospel. Paul took Nazirite vows like a dedicated warrior on his missionary journeys. Let’s pursue that same wholehearted commitment in our own lives.
Respond:
• Where are you tempted to stay quiet?
• What truth needs to be spoken?
• How does God’s presence strengthen you?
tuesday
Esther 4 (focus v. 13–16)
Discover:
Sometimes it takes a crisis to wake us up spiritually. Many of us know people who returned to the Lord after a cancer scare, job loss, financial disaster, or some other painful trial drove them to their knees. Perhaps you have your own story of turning back to God when you hit rock bottom.
In today’s passage, Mordecai and Esther faced a crisis that stirred them to action. Although they had not lived as the most devoted Jews (Esther was married to a pagan king), everything changed when Haman plotted to destroy all the Jews because Mordecai would not bow to him.
Mordecai publicly mourned and openly identified himself as a Jew (Est. 4:1-3). When Esther heard about his grief, she learned of Haman’s deadly decree. Mordecai urged her to go before the king and plead for her people. Esther hesitated at first, knowing it could cost her life. But Mordecai warned her that staying silent would not save her, and he suggested that perhaps God had placed her in the palace for this very moment (vv. 12-14).
Esther made her choice: she would risk her life to help her people and trust God with the outcome (vv. 15-17).
Matthew Henry wrote that Esther spoke “in a holy resolution to do her duty and trust God with the issue.” We may not face the same danger Esther did, but we all make decisions when the outcome is uncertain. Let us not allow fear to keep us from doing what is right. Instead, let’s trust the Lord and choose obedience, leaving the results in His hands.
Respond:
• Where has God positioned you intentionally?
• What risk might obedience require?
• What would courage look like today?
Wednesday
2 Chronicles 16 (focus v.9)
Discover:
God loves to bless His obedient people. Scripture is full of examples, and in one place He even challenges us to obey Him so He can pour out His blessings (Mal. 3:10). The Lord truly wants to do good to us, and we should eagerly desire His blessing.
Yet we must be careful. When life is going well, it is easy to drift away from God. The Lord warns us in Deuteronomy 8:11–20 that times of blessing can tempt us to forget Him and rely on ourselves instead. The history of Israel shows how real this danger is.
King Asa of Judah is a sobering example. He began his reign well, trusting God and leading reforms that brought peace and prosperity to Judah (2 Chron. 14–15). But later, when King Baasha of Israel attacked, Asa stopped trusting the Lord. Instead of turning to God in prayer, he paid King Ben-hadad of Syria with money taken from the temple to come help him (16:1–6).
The prophet Hanani confronted Asa, reminding him that God had given him victory before when he trusted Him. The Lord sees everything and is always ready to help those who rely on Him (vv. 7–9). But Asa’s lack of trust brought ongoing war for the rest of his reign.
Even so, Scripture still calls Asa a good king overall because he mostly remained faithful (v. 14). His story reminds us that even strong believers must guard their hearts. No matter how well we have walked with God in the past, we must continue trusting Him so we do not stumble later.
Respond:
• Is your heart fully committed or divided?
• Where do you need God’s strengthening?
• What distraction weakens your boldness?
THursday
Philemon 1 (focus v. 8–9)
Discover:
As Christ’s apostles, commissioned to lay the foundation of the church, the Twelve were given special authority to speak for Jesus to His people (Matt. 10:40; John 17:20–21; Acts 2:42; Eph. 2:20; 1 Thess. 2:6). They could issue direct commands to Christians, and we often see them doing so in their letters.
Paul had the right to order Philemon to welcome Onesimus back and free him, but he chose not to use that authority in this case (Philem. 8). Why? Because he wanted Philemon’s actions to flow from the heart, not mere obedience to a command.
God’s law is very important for Christian ethics. The Ten Commandments, for example, help us clearly understand right and wrong, and Paul often points back to God’s moral law as we live out the gospel (Rom. 13:9; Eph. 6:1–3).
However, law has clear limits. First, no list of rules could ever cover every possible situation in life. Second, the law cannot change our hearts or give us the power to obey (Rom. 7:7–25). Third, outward obedience alone does not truly please God. A good deed is only fully good when it is done with the right motive: love for God and love for others (Luke 10:25–28).
This is why Paul appealed to love instead of issuing a command. He wanted Philemon’s decision to come from genuine love for Christ and for Onesimus (Philem. 8–10). Love always goes beyond the minimum requirement. It moves us to do far more than the law demands as we serve both God and our neighbor.
Respond:
• Does your boldness reflect love?
• Are you avoiding hard conversations?
• How can you speak truth graciously?
Friday
Psalm 112 (focus v. 6–8)
Discover:
Holiness and wisdom are deeply connected in Scripture. A truly wise person is holy, and a holy person is wise. This truth runs through the first nine chapters of Proverbs and is clear in today’s wisdom psalm.
Psalm 112 begins with a blessing on the person who fears the Lord (v. 1). Since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7), this person is both holy and wise. The blessings include a strong family and material prosperity (vv. 2–3). God really does reward those who serve Him.
At the same time, the psalm is realistic. Verse 4 says “light shines in the darkness for the upright,” reminding us that even godly people face difficult and dark times. Righteous believers do sometimes suffer in this life, just as we see in the book of Job. Yet God still blesses His people, and the greatest blessings await us in the world to come.
Verse 6 is especially encouraging: the righteous “will never be moved” and “will be remembered forever.” This does not mean they avoid all hardship, but that they will not be ultimately crushed by it. John Calvin explained that righteous people “may often appear as if they were about to sink under the weight of their calamities,” yet their confidence in God remains firm and they endure with patience.
The righteousness described here is the practical, everyday righteousness that grows as God sanctifies us. But it also points to the perfect righteousness of Christ that we receive by faith. Only His righteousness can make us stand firm so we are never moved from salvation. When we are in Christ, God remembers us with favor forever (Rom. 5:1; 8:1).
Respond:
• What “bad news” are you fearing?
• Is your heart anchored or anxious?
• How can you strengthen your trust?
Saturday
Mark 13 (focus v. 9–11)
Discover:
Today’s passage is part of what is known as the Olivet Discourse. Jesus gave the Olivet Discourse to prepare His first-century disciples for the difficult years ahead after His ascension (Mark 13:9). He wanted them to stay alert and not be caught off guard by the trials that would come before Jerusalem’s destruction. Knowing these things would happen did not mean they should try to set dates for the end (vv. 32–37) or withdraw from the world. Instead, they were to keep faithfully witnessing for Him right where they were.
The same lessons apply to us today. While Jesus’ words were fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, they also point forward as a picture of the trials that will come before His final return. We do not know every detail of what lies ahead, but we are called to live faithfully in our daily lives as we wait for Him.
In today’s passage, Jesus tells His disciples not to worry about what they will say when brought before councils and rulers. The Holy Spirit will give them the right words at the right time (Mark 13:11). He is not telling them to be unprepared or lazy. He is freeing them from anxious obsession so they can focus on everyday obedience.
Jesus also warns that believers will be hated by many because of His name, and even family members may turn against them (vv. 12–13). This happened often in the early church during times of persecution. Yet Jesus encourages us to stay faithful. Those who endure to the end will be saved (v. 13).
Respond:
• Are you relying on your strength or the Spirit’s?
• Where might God use your testimony?
• What step of obedience requires courage now?