Bible Reading Plan

1 Samuel 16

Chapter 16

Samuel Goes to Bethlehem

¹ Now the LORD said to Samuel, "^(C1)How long are you going to mourn for ^(F1)Saul, since ^(C2)I have rejected him from being king over Israel? ^(C3)Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to ^(C4)Jesse the Bethlehemite, because I have ^(C5)chosen a king for Myself among his sons."² But Samuel said, "How can I go? When Saul hears about it, he will kill me." But the LORD said, "^(C1)Take a heifer ^(F1)with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.'³ "And you shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and ^(C1)I will let you know what you shall do; and ^(C2)you shall anoint for Me the one whom I ^(F1)designate to you."⁴ So Samuel did what the LORD told him, and he came to ^(C1)Bethlehem. Then the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, "^(C2)Do you come in peace?"⁵ And he said, "In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. ^(C1)Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ When they entered, he looked at ^(C1)Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is standing before Him."⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for ^(F1)God does not see as man sees, since man looks at ^(F2)the outward appearance, ^(C1)but the LORD looks at the heart."⁸ Then Jesse called ^(C1)Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel. But he said, "The LORD has not chosen this one, either."⁹ Next Jesse had ^(F1)(C1)Shammah pass by. And he said, "The LORD has not chosen this one, either."¹⁰ So Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these."¹¹ Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all the boys?" And he said, "^(C1)The youngest is still left, but behold, he is tending the sheep." So Samuel said to Jesse, "Send word and bring him; for we will not take our places at the table until he comes here."

David Anointed

^14 (C1)Now the Spirit of the LORD left Saul, and ^(C2)an evil spirit from the LORD terrified him.¹⁵ Saul's servants then said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrifying you.¹⁶ "May our lord now command your servants who are before you. Have them search for a man who is a skillful musician on the harp; and it shall come about whenever the evil spirit from God is upon you, that ^(C1)he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will become well."¹⁷ So Saul said to his servants, "Now select for me a man who can play well, and bring him to me."¹⁸ Then one of the young men responded and said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, ^(C1)a valiant mighty man, a warrior, skillful in speech, and a handsome man; and ^(C2)the LORD is with him."¹⁹ So Saul sent messengers to Jesse ^(F1)to say, "Send me your son David, who is with the flock."²⁰ And Jesse ^(C1)took a donkey loaded with bread and a jug of wine, and he took a young goat, and sent them to Saul by his son David.²¹ Then David came to Saul and ^(F1)(C1)attended him; and Saul greatly loved him, and he became his armor bearer.²² So Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Let David now ^(F1)be my attendant for he has found favor in my sight."²³ So it came about whenever ^(C1)the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would feel relieved and become well, and the evil spirit would leave him.

Psalms 61

Chapter 61

Confidence in God's Protection.

^1 (C1)Hear my cry, God;
^(C2)Give Your attention to my prayer.

² From the ^(C1)end of the earth I call to You when my heart is ^(C2)faint;
Lead me to ^(C3)the rock that is higher than I.

³ For You have been a ^(C1)refuge for me,
A ^(C2)tower of strength against the enemy.

⁴ Let me ^(F1)(C1)dwell in Your tent forever;
Let me ^(C2)take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

⁵ For You have heard my ^(C1)vows, God;
You have given me the inheritance of those who ^(C2)fear Your name.

⁶ You will ^(F1)(C1)prolong the king's ^(F2)life;
His years will be like generations.

⁷ He will ^(F1)sit enthroned ^(C1)before God forever;
Appoint ^(C2)faithfulness and truth that they may watch over him.

⁸ So I will ^(C1)sing praise to Your name forever,
That I may ^(C2)pay my vows day by day.

Romans 7

Chapter 7

Believers United to Christ

¹ Or do you not know, ^(C1)brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the ^(F1)Law), that the ^(F1)Law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?² For ^(C1)the married woman is bound by law to her ^(F1)husband as long as he is alive; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law ^(F2)concerning the husband.³ So then, if while her husband is alive she ^(F1)gives herself to another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress if she ^(F2)gives herself to another man.

⁴ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were ^(C1)put to death ^(C2)in regard to the Law ^(C3)through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.⁵ For while we were ^(C1)in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were ^(C2)brought to light by the Law, were at work ^(C3)in ^(F1)the parts of our body to bear fruit for death.⁶ But now we have been ^(C1)released from the Law, having ^(C2)died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in ^(C3)newness of ^(C4)the ^(F1)Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

^7 (C1)What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? ^(F1)(C2)Far from it! On the contrary, ^(C3)I would not have come to know sin except ^(F2)through the Law; for I would not have known about ^(F3)coveting if the Law had not said, "^(C4)YOU SHALL NOT ^(F3)COVET."⁸ But sin, ^(C1)taking an opportunity ^(C2)through the commandment, produced in me ^(F1)coveting of every kind; for ^(C3)apart ^(F2)from the Law sin is dead.⁹ I was once alive apart ^(F1)from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin came to life, and I died;¹⁰ and this commandment, which was ^(F1)(C1)to result in life, proved ^(F2)to result in death for me;¹¹ for sin, ^(C1)taking an opportunity ^(C2)through the commandment, ^(C3)deceived me, and through it, killed me.^12 (C1)So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

¹³ Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? ^(F1)(C1)Far from it! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by bringing about my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

The Conflict of Serving Two Masters

¹⁴ For we know that the Law is ^(C1)spiritual, but I am ^(C1)fleshly, ^(C2)sold ^(F1)(C3)into bondage to sin.¹⁵ For ^(C1)I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing ^(C2)what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate.¹⁶ However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with ^(C1)the Law, that the Law is good.¹⁷ But now, ^(C1)no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.¹⁸ For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my ^(C1)flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.¹⁹ For ^(C1)the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.²⁰ But if I do the very thing I do not want, ^(C1)I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.

²¹ I find then ^(C1)the ^(F1)principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.²² For I joyfully agree with the law of God ^(F1)in ^(C1)the inner person,²³ but I see ^(C1)a different law in ^(F1)the parts of my body waging war against the ^(C2)law of my mind, and making me a prisoner ^(F2)of ^(C3)the law of sin, the law which is in ^(F3)my body's parts.²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from ^(F1)(C1)the body of this ^(C2)death?^25 (C1)Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh ^(C2)the law of sin.