This plan provides a good balance between Old Testament readings and New Testament Readings because it guides you through the New Testament twice as you read through the Old Testament once. To allow time for reflection, it follows a two-year plan.
Every week I will post the devotional readings for that week. If you wish to print a copy of the plan without the devotions, you can find copies of it in pdf format at the link below. I like to print and use them as bookmarks in my Bible.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TQs0_oejNJO8HInVlN1JmSClMhWcEbiG?usp=sharing
The daily devotions for this week are included below.
January 22 (Read: Luke Chapter 24)
“Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” (Lu. 24:45 NAS)
The disciples’ lack of understanding of the Lord’s death hindered their ability to believe the resurrection. They kept thinking the Messiah should sit on David’s throne and deliver the nation from oppressors like Rome. Even at His ascension, they still were asking when He would restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6). How much of the Scriptures do we still try to interpret from an earthly perspective? There is only one way to truly understand the Gospel; that is by the revelation of the Spirit. When Jesus rebuked the devil through Peter, He said, “You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Matt. 16:23). Most perversions of the Gospel come from that same perspective. They are always putting mankind’s interest before God’s. It was necessary for Jesus to die for our sins, to rise again, and to send the Holy Spirit. The restoration of the kingdom is first spiritual, then, at His return, it will be visible. To properly understand Scripture, we must humbly put aside our own opinions and receive revelation from the Holy Spirit.
Thank You, Father, that Your plans for us are good, but Your thoughts are so much higher than our thoughts. Help us to understand the Scriptures. Forgive us for putting the temporal interests of mankind ahead of Your eternal interests. Help us to have a healthy understanding of sin because if we confess our sins, You are faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us. We choose to walk in the light as You are light. (1Jn. 1:5-9)
January 23 (Read: Psalm 1, 2 & 3)
“And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water…” (Ps. 1:3a NAS)
How wonderful it is to know that there is a path to fruitfulness. I can be like a tree planted by streams of water, bearing fruit and prospering in whatever I do. I want to know this path and walk in it every day. I will delight in Your law, Lord. Your whole law is contained in Your commandment to love. I will hide Your words in my heart that I might not sin against You. I will not walk in the counsel of the wicked, but I will meditate on Your words to receive spiritual understanding. I will fellowship with You, Holy Spirit. “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul thirsts for Thee, O God.” (Ps. 42:1). Your manifested presence will satisfy my thirst. Your words in my heart will grow and bear fruit in their season. I will submit to Your pruning, Father, that I may bear more fruit (Jn. 15:2). I will not be afraid because You are a shield to me. I have made the Lord my refuge, even the Most High my dwelling place. (Ps. 91:9). Because I live in You and seek to do Your will, my prayers will be answered and everything I do will prosper.
January 24 (Read: Psalm 4, 5, & 6)
“In the morning, O Lord, Thou wilt hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to Thee and eagerly watch.” (Ps. 5:2 NAS)
Taking time at the start of my day to fellowship with God is very important; it sets the tone for my walk with God that day. After this time of devotions, I try to remain sensitive to His guidance and instructions throughout the day. It takes discipline to make this devotional time effective. What works well for me is to start with reading Scripture. It can be anything that the Lord impresses upon my heart to read, or it can simply be following a Bible Reading plan. As I read, I pray and listen with my heart. I will meditate on any verse that seems to speak to me. As the Lord begins to open my understanding to the Scriptures, I am careful to listen and not let my mind be distracted with study. There is a time for study, but my devotional time is for listening. Watching in prayer, to me, means turning my focus to the Lord to see what He is saying. The apostle John did this on the Isle of Patmos. “And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me.” (Rev. 1:12). The Lord began to speak to John was he was in prayer, in the Spirit (Rev. 1:10). When I spend time in communion, I am taught as a disciple (Is. 50:4). If I begin my day by ordering my prayer to Him, He will order my day in the fulfilment of His will.
Thank You, Lord, for opening my ears to hear and my eyes to see what You are saying. To experience Your manifested presence is wonderful, but what You desire from me is obedience. Your words I will hide in my heart that I may obey You. By faith I will live in You that You may also live through me by grace. In Christ we have all received grace upon grace. (Ps. 119:11; Gal. 2:20; Jn. 1:16).
January 25 (Read: Psalm 7, 8, & 9)
“Thou hast made him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet.” (Ps. 8:6 NAS)
When quoting this verse, the writer of the letter to the Hebrews says that God is speaking of the world to come. “But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels…” (Heb. 2:8,9). This verse was very helpful to help me understand the order for which all things will be put under the feet of Christ. It is not that God cannot do it all at once, but because He wants to give all of mankind the opportunity for salvation, He delays the return of Christ to rule the earth. Paul tells us what the last enemy to be destroyed is: “But each in his own order; Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” (1Cor. 15:23-26). Before the end comes, the nation of Israel will also be saved. We read about this in Romans Chapter 11, and Peter referred to it in one of his sermons: “that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.” (Act 3:21). The restoration that the prophets spoke about is the restoration of the nation of Israel.
Lord Jesus, You are the King of kings, the Lord of lords. To You has been given all authority in heaven and in earth. You are returning soon and will destroy the last enemy which is death. Thank You, Father, for delaying the return of our Lord until the completion of Your salvation plan. When we say “Maranatha, our Lord come!” we pray for the completion of Your work and for our Lord’s quick return.
January 26 (Read: Psalm 10, 11, & 12)
“O Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble; Thou wilt strengthen their heart, Thou wilt incline Thine ear.” (Ps. 10:17 NAS)
There are so many things that humans rely on for strength. We may call it something else, but the issue is the same. When I was struggling with quitting a smoking habit, the Lord showed me this verse: “for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods” (Heb. 13:9). I understood immediately that I was using it as a means of calming myself, and that instead I should be receiving grace. Pride will tell us that we do not need anything, but humility will help us confess our needs. God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble (Jas. 4:6). This word of the Lord helped me to not only obtain victory, but it ushered me into a new spiritual experience. I understood that the grace I would receive would strengthen my heart to develop character. The fruit of the Spirit would be with me forever, but strength from natural things is only temporary, and it often comes with negative consequences. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isa. 40:8).
Thank You, Father, for making abundance of grace available to me in Christ. Strengthen my heart with power through Your Spirit. Develop in me godly character that my soul may be transformed into the image of Christ. Through Your promises, I can partake of Your divine nature. (Jn. 1:16; Eph. 3:16; 2Pe. 1:4).
January 27 (Read: Psalm 13, 14, 15 & 16)
“O Lord, who may abide in Thy tent? Who may dwell on Thy holy hill?” (Ps. 15:1 NAS)
We know that salvation is a gift; we cannot work for it. What then is the psalmist referring to in Psalm 15? He asks the questions above, then answers with, “He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness…” (vs. 2). Salvation is not by works, so what then is the place of good works? The last verse provides the answer: “He who does these things will never be shaken.” (vs. 5b). We can abide in the blessings of the Lord, in this life on earth, if we walk in obedience. The Apostle Peter takes this a little further: “for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.” (2Pe. 1:10,11). Walking in obedience keeps us from falling away from the faith. Salvation does not just begin by faith; it is a walk of faith. We express our faith through obedience to God. We cannot begin in faith then continue in works; our obedience is by grace through faith. Grace for living is the ability that God gives us to live righteously. “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:13).
Thank You, Lord, for the gift of salvation. Thank You also for the grace to live in a way that pleases You. You are the God of all grace Who will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish me. (1Pe. 5:10).
January 28 (Read: Genesis 1, 2, & 3)
“This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord made earth and heaven.” (Gen. 2:4 NAS)
There are so many mysteries included in these first three chapters of Genesis. “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” (Prov. 25:2). We must be careful not to close the wells of revelation with the traditions of man. Neither should we discard traditional teachings to adopt the latest interpretations. We should examine every teaching and hold fast to what is good (1Thess. 5:21). Keeping my spirit open to revelation has allowed me to see so much more in the creation account than what can be seen on the surface. Even when we receive revelation knowledge, we cannot let our minds run off and make more of it than what has been revealed. Confirming revelation requires patience. If God reveals something to you in Genesis, He will confirm it in other passages of Scripture. For example, when referring to a man and his wife cleaving together to become one flesh (Gen. 2:24), Paul declares this as a great mystery concerning Christ and His Church. By calling it a great mystery, he is stating that there is more to it than a mere comparison. The second Adam was formed when the Word became flesh. The Father put the first man to sleep to make for him a wife, and He put Christ to sleep (the crucifixion) so He could make for Him a Bride (the Church). The love relationship between Christ and the Church has eternal significance. In an earthly marriage, we become one flesh. In Christ we become one spirit with Him (1Cor. 6:17). He purchased us with His blood; we are not our own, we belong to Him.
Father, Your Word contains so many mysteries that relate to Christ and the Church. I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened so that I may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” (Eph. 1:18,19).
Highway in the Wilderness 