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 29 (Read: Genesis 4, 5, & 6)
“If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (Gen. 4:7 NAS)
From the beginning, God planned to offer His Son as a sacrificial lamb for our sins. Abel, by faith, understood that a lamb was an acceptable offering to God, but Cain preferred to offer the work of his own hands. God’s response to Cain’s dejection reveals an important principle concerning our relationship with God. It is not enough to be forgiven for sins; we must master sin itself. The way to do this was demonstrated by Abel. “By faith, Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous.” (Heb. 11:4). Religious works cannot please God; faith with obedience does.
The next example we have is Enoch who “walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” (Gen. 5:24). What a witness that must have been to his generation. But, as men continued to populate the earth, they did not learn to overcome sin. Instead, man’s wickedness became “great upon the earth” (Gen. 6:5). Amid that generation, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8). He believed God and did what God commanded him to do (Gen. 6:22).
The need to master sin is still required of us today, but God has provided the way of victory through Christ. “And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1Jn. 5:5).
Thank You, Jesus, for taking a body like mine and overcoming sin and death for me. Your blood has made me righteous, and through Your death, I have died to the power of sin. I consider myself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. You live in me, and I live by faith in You. (Rom. 6:6-14; Gal. 2:20)
January 30 (Read: Genesis 7, 8, & 9)
“When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” (Gen. 9:17 NAS)
Somehow, the earth changed after the flood. God used the rainbow as a sign of His covenant to not destroy the earth again with a flood. If the rainbow only began to occur after the flood, then the earth would have had a different atmosphere before the flood. I have often wondered if more happened to the earth during the flood than just destruction by water. The Apostle Peter appears to say that when Christ died, He went to preach to those who perished before the flood. There is no mention of Him preaching to those who perished after the flood, which could mean that there is some kind of spiritual separation between both worlds. As humans, we tend to interpret the past from the viewpoint of our present experience. Maybe there are more dimensions to our existence than we realize. This is another mystery which we should be open to, but not too quick to make conclusions about. God’s thoughts are so much higher than our thoughts, and His ways so much higher than our ways (Isa. 55:8,9). For me, this is humbling. I can never expect to figure things out with my mind. I must rely on the Holy Spirit to teach me all things.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for upholding all things by the word of Your power. Your thoughts, Father, are so much higher than my thoughts. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for spiritual wisdom and understanding. You have given me the mind of Christ. (Heb. 1:3; 1Cor. 2:16)
January 31 (Read: Genesis 10 & 11)
“And the Lord said, ‘Behold they are one people, and they all have one language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.’” (Gen. 11:6 NAS)
If the Lord had to scatter the people to prevent them from accomplishing all that they purposed, what will He do in these days of internet and artificial intelligence? The world is coming so much closer to uniting under the false kingdom of the antichrist. As this is happening, we are to rejoice because our redemption is drawing so much closer. I came to realize not too long ago that if the Lord has His messengers preparing His people for His return, the devil also has his messengers preparing the way for the coming of the antichrist. As spiritually minded people, we should be aware of his schemes and purpose to not to get caught up in them. Personally, I believe that believers, especially in America, are too involved in politics. In democratic countries, we have a social responsibility to vote and to serve, when possible, but we should also realize that no political party truly has the Lord as its Head. There are two things I endeavour to do in these last days. The first is to keep my eyes on the Lord, and to be found doing His will when He returns. The second is to be aware of the devil’s schemes and not to be caught in his deceptions. Both require that I stay in close fellowship with the Holy Spirit, pursuing the godly goal of loving from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith (1Tim. 1:5).
Thank You, Father, for Your patience with mankind. Your desire is that none should perish, but that all should repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Left to ourselves, mankind would have destroyed itself a long time ago. Your great love, however, is bringing redemption to mankind as we await for the promise of eternal life on a newly created heaven and earth. Thank You also for Your patience and kindness towards me, as I seek to do Your will, and wait patiently for Your return. (2Pe. 3:9, 13)
February 1 (Read: Genesis 12, 13, & 14)
“And I will make you a great nation and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing.” (Gen. 12:2 NAS)
Why would God choose Abraham to make these promises to? Firstly, he believed God and obeyed Him. Throughout his journey, he demonstrated faith. When the Lord appeared to him, he responded by building an altar to the Lord, and returned there later to call upon the name of the Lord (Gen. 12:7, 8; 13:4). When he came back from defeating Chedorlaomer, he offered a tithe of the spoils to Melchizedek, not as a religious obligation, but as an act of faith.
There is another reason why God chose Abraham. He could be trusted to “command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice.” (Gen. 18:19). We know he did this because Isaac and Jacob continued, in faith, as heirs of the promise. When it comes to doing righteousness and justice, we need to be careful not to judge Abraham or his descendants. The righteousness imputed by God is based on faith (Rom. 4:3). This is a faith that takes God at His word and acts accordingly. Doing righteousness and justice is an extension of faith when we walk according to our conscience. “The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God…and whatever is not from faith is sin.” (Rom. 14:22,23). James called this the law of liberty: “So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.” (Jas. 2:12).
Thank You, Father, for Your promises. You made a nation of Abraham and sent the prophets to proclaim the coming of the Messiah. Now we, who believe in Christ, are children of Abraham and heirs of the promises. Bless us, Lord, that we may be a blessing to others.
February 2 (Read: Genesis 15, 16, & 17)
“And Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what wilt Thou give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” (Gen. 15:2 NAS)
By the time God appears to Abraham and promises him a son, a relationship has developed between them. Each step along the way, the plan of God has unfolded and Abraham has continued to believe God. He was seventy-five years old when God brought him from Haran into the land of Canaan. Ten or so years have passed, and he has grown very prosperous. Now God appears to him and promises to reward him greatly, but Abraham has a question in his heart. Even though he has been very blessed, why has God withheld a son from him? Will God be angry if he asks this question? Because of their relationship, he dares to ask it. God reassures him by revealing that he will have a son from his own body. “‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ and he was called the friend of God.” (Jas. 2:23).
What made Abraham’s relationship with God that of a friend? Jesus told His disciples, “You are My friends, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made know to you.” (Jn. 15:14,15). The Lord wants our relationship with Him to be that of a friend, not just a servant. As a friend, we can ask questions that a servant would not ask. Friendship with God requires obedience, which comes from love rather than from a sense of duty. Do you have questions in your heart that you hesitate to talk to God about? If you are God’s friend, you may confidently ask, and He will answer.
Lord, You called Abraham Your friend, and You told the disciples that they were also Your friends. Help me Lord to trust and obey You as a friend. I know I can bring my needs to You in prayer, because You care for me. (1Pe. 5:7)
February 3 (Read: Genesis 18 & 19)
“Far be it from You to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” (Gen. 18:23 NAS)
Abraham was confident enough in his relationship with the Lord that he could question Him concerning His judgments. It is not that he wished to instruct the Lord; he just wanted to understand God’s ways. The Lord’s reply to Abraham reveals the extent of His mercy. If there were only 10 righteous in Sodom, He would not destroy the city. Lot and his family amounted to only four so the city was destroyed. Even so, the Lord sent his angels to lead Lot and his family out of the city before judgment came.
Jesus told His disciples that they are the salt of the earth. Salt is used as a preservative. The judgment of the unrighteous of this world is still being delayed today because of the righteous few. Can it be that judgment over a nation is held back because of the righteous in that nation? As followers of Christ, we can influence our communities by living godly lives. We can also fulfill our priestly function by interceding for the people and the leaders of the land “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” which will result in more people getting saved. (1Tim. 2:1-4).
Father, I come boldly before Your throne because of the blood of Jesus. As a priest in Your house, I intercede for the people of this land, that You would delay Your judgment and allow more to come to salvation. In faith, I sprinkle the precious blood of Christ upon the people of this land. Lord Jesus, Your sacrifice was sufficient to redeem these people. Thank You, Father, for Your great love and mercy.
February 4 (Read: Genesis 20 & 21)
“Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you will surely die, you and all who are yours.” (Gen. 20:7 NAS)
It is difficult to understand how Abraham could have asked Sarah to protect him as he did. Nonetheless, God still regarded him as a prophet, and as such judgment fell upon Abimelech and his household. David understood the importance of honoring God’s anointed when he refused to take Saul’s life, even though God had called him to replace Saul as king. We have often heard the phrase, “touch not God’s anointed”, applied to ministers, but have you ever understood it from the perspective of unbelievers towards believers (Ps. 105:15)? Every believer is a priest of the Lord, anointed by the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was being crucified, He asked the Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him because they did not know what they were doing. Stephen prayed the same things when he was being stoned to death. The Scriptures say that God will afflict those who afflict us at the appearing of Jesus our Lord (2Thess. 1:6,7). Have you ever felt compassion instead of hatred for those who persecuted you? How terrible it will be for those who mistreat God’s people and do not repent before the Lord returns. If we are convinced of their coming judgment, we will pray for those who persecute or mistreat us. “And Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children.” (Gen. 20:17).
Father, help me to understand my function as a priest of the Lord. Help me also to be always aware that what people do to me, they are doing to Christ. Your return, Lord Jesus, will be terrifying for all those who have refused to repent for how they have treated You and Your people. Help me to forgive those who persecute or mistreat me. Lead them to repentance and faith for salvation.
Highway in the Wilderness 