Daily Devotions on the One Year Bible by Pastor Gary Combs

“Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way” (Proverbs 23:19 ESV). Solomon urged his son to do more than merely listen to wise instruction. Biblical hearing was meant to lead to obedience. The emphatic sense of “you” suggested, “Whatever others may choose, you listen.” The goal was not simply to

“Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit” (Isaiah 27:6 ESV). Isaiah spoke to a people who had known judgment, scattering, and discipline. Yet he looked ahead to a day when Jacob would once again “take root.” Israel would not merely survive. God would restore

“My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right” (Proverbs 23:15–16 ESV). The wisdom teacher had just instructed his son concerning the necessity of loving discipline. Now he revealed the goal of that discipline. He did not merely want

“Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol” (Proverbs 23:13–14 ESV). Solomon taught his son that loving parents must not confuse withholding correction with showing love. The “rod” pictured deliberate, measured

“Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth” (Psalm 58:11 ESV). David wrote Psalm 58 against corrupt rulers or judges who had been entrusted with authority but instead used it to “deal out violence.” The psalm’s severe language of judgment can be difficult for us to

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!” (Isaiah 14:12 ESV). Isaiah spoke to Judah concerning the future fall of Babylon long before Babylon had carried Judah into captivity and before Cyrus conquered that mighty empire. In

“In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples, of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious” (Isaiah 11:10 ESV). Isaiah spoke to Judah during a time when other powerful nations threatened to dominate them. At the end of Isaiah 10, Assyria appeared

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isaiah 9:2 ESV). Isaiah had just described Israel’s condition with the words “distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish” (Isaiah 8:22). The northern territories of Zebulun and Naphtali had been

“When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food” (Proverbs 23:1–3 ESV). Solomon warned his son about the dangers of sitting at the table of a

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good” (Psalm 53:1 ESV). David described more than philosophical atheism. He exposed practical atheism, the settled determination to live as though God does not exist, does not see, and will not judge. The Hebrew

“Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?” (Proverbs 22:26–27 ESV). Solomon warned against recklessly becoming responsible for another person’s debt. The expression “give pledges” literally pictured striking hands to seal an

“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all

“For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine” (Psalm 50:10–11 ESV). Asaph wrote Psalm 50 to God’s covenant people, confronting them about a false view of worship. They were bringing sacrifices, but

“Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1 ESV). Solomon gave his readers a memorable saying that has invited several interpretations. Some have understood “bread” as seed, picturing a farmer sowing liberally upon floodwaters and later finding a crop after the waters receded. Others have seen it

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10 ESV). Paul had written to the Corinthian believers about sin that needed to be confronted, and his earlier letter had caused them sorrow. Yet Paul rejoiced because their sorrow had not ended in mere regret.

“Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!” (Psalm 47:6–7 ESV). The sons of Korah called God’s people to praise Him because He reigned as King, not merely over Israel, but over “all the earth.” Five

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10 ESV). The sons of Korah wrote Psalm 46 to God’s people in a world filled with turmoil. The earth gave way, mountains trembled, waters roared, nations raged, and kingdoms tottered. Yet

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness” (Psalm 45:6–7 ESV). The sons of Korah wrote Psalm 45 as a royal wedding song, celebrating a Davidic

“Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!” (Psalm 44:26 ESV). Psalm 44 was written as a communal lament for God’s suffering people. The psalmists remembered how God had given Israel victory in the past, yet they now found themselves defeated, humiliated, and oppressed. What made their suffering

“Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable” (Job 36:26 ESV). Elihu spoke these words to Job as he called him to consider the greatness of God. When he said, “we know him not,” he did not mean that God could not be known at all. Rather,

“For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it (Job 33:14 ESV). Elihu spoke after Job and his three friends had exhausted their arguments. Elihu said that God spoke in ways people did not always recognize. He described two ways. First, God could speak through warning, using dreams and

“The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender” (Proverbs 22:7 ESV). Solomon warned about the power money and debt could exercise over people. He was not giving an absolute prohibition against every form of borrowing, but a warning about its dangers. The Old Testament regulated lending rather than

“As for me, I said, ‘O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!’” (Psalm 41:4 ESV). David wrote Psalm 41 as a man who was suffering while surrounded by enemies who hoped for his downfall. Yet before focusing on what others had done against him, David acknowledged his own

“Who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:4 ESV). Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth about the “God of all comfort” who comforted His people in every

“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1 ESV). Solomon taught his readers that some things were worth far more than wealth. A “good name” meant more than being well known. It described a reputation that grew out of wisdom, integrity, faithfulness,

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you” (Psalm 39:7 ESV). David wrote Psalm 39 while wrestling with the brevity of life, the emptiness of human striving, the burden of suffering, and his own sinfulness. He considered how quickly life passes, describing his days as only a few handbreadths

“I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin” (Psalm 38:18 ESV). David wrote Psalm 38 as a deeply penitential prayer to the Lord, giving God’s people words for those times when the weight of sin and its consequences feels overwhelming. David was suffering physically, abandoned by friends, opposed by enemies, and painfully aware

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 14:33 ESV). Writing to the believers in Corinth, the apostle Paul addressed the disorder that had developed in their gathered worship, especially in the exercise of spiritual gifts. The word translated “confusion” carried the

“So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:12 ESV). Writing to the believers in Corinth, Paul addressed their strong interest in spiritual gifts. He did not condemn their zeal, but redirected it. They were eager for manifestations of the Spirit,

“Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur” (Esther 9:26 ESV). The author of Esther told his Jewish readers why the annual feast of Purim received its name. “Pur” meant “lot,” referring to the lots Haman had cast to determine the day on which he planned to destroy the Jews. But what Haman

“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 36:7 ESV). David had just described the deceitfulness and wickedness of sinful people. Then he lifted his eyes from the character of the wicked to the character of God. He had declared that Gods

How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions! (Psalm 35:17 ESV). David wrote this psalm while surrounded by enemies who had repaid his kindness with betrayal. He addressed God directly, crying out with a raw and honest question. Notice what David did not ask.

Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love (Nehemiah 13:22 ESV). Nehemiah wrote these words as a governor returning to a city

“And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem” (Nehemiah 11:2 ESV). Nehemiah recorded how the people of Israel repopulated Jerusalem after the wall had been rebuilt. Some were chosen by lot to move into the city, while others willingly offered to live there. Jerusalem was still vulnerable, and living

“I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1 ESV). David wrote Psalm 34 after escaping from the Philistine king by pretending to be insane. He had been afraid, and his behavior was hardly heroic. Yet when David looked back on the experience, he did not

“You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst” (Nehemiah 9:20 ESV). Nehemiah recorded the Levites’ prayer as they rehearsed God’s faithfulness before the assembled people of Israel. Looking back on Israel’s wilderness years, they remembered that God had not

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host” (Psalm 33:6 ESV). The psalmist called God’s people to praise the LORD by reminding them of His awesome power in creation. The heavens did not come into existence through physical effort. God simply spoke, and

“This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short” (1 Corinthians 7:29 ESV). Writing to the believers in Corinth, Paul urged them to live with an eternal perspective. When he wrote that “the appointed time has grown very short,” he was not necessarily predicting that only a few years remained before

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!” (Psalm 31:19 ESV). David wrote to God’s people as one who had experienced fear, rejection, slander, and danger, yet had also experienced

“To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice” (Proverbs 21:3 ESV). Solomon taught the people of Israel that God desired more than outward religious activity. He wanted lives marked by righteousness and justice. In Hebrew, these words described doing what was right, fair, equitable, and morally faithful, especially in one’s

“You are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5 ESV). First Corinthians 5:5 is one of the more difficult verses in the letter, especially because of Paul’s phrase, “deliver this man to Satan.” The

“The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair” (Proverbs 20:29 ESV). Solomon taught his readers that youth and old age each possessed a God-given glory. The strength of the young was their energy, vitality, and capacity for action. The gray hair of the old represented

“Do you not know that you are Gods temple and that Gods Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV). The apostle Paul wrote to both encourage and correct the believers in Corinth, a church troubled by rivalry, personality loyalties, and division. Some claimed Paul, others Apollos, and still others Cephas. Into this fractured fellowship,

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him” (Psalm 28:7 ESV). David wrote this psalm, crying out to God for mercy and deliverance. His circumstances had driven him to prayer, but his confidence was

“Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods” (Ezra 1:7 ESV). Ezra wrote to the returned Jewish exiles, reminding them how God had sovereignly brought His people home from Babylon. When Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem,

“Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel” (2 Chronicles 35:3 ESV). In 2 Chronicles 35, the Chronicler described King Josiah’s preparations for a great Passover celebration in

“Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you” (Romans 16:23 ESV). Writing from Corinth, the apostle Paul closed his letter to the believers in Rome by naming several associates who sent their greetings. Among them was Erastus, the city treasurer. Paul’s mention of his civic position showed that Erastus was a prominent figure

“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted” (Psalm 25:16 ESV). David wrote Psalm 25 as a prayer for God’s compassionate attention amid both outward trouble and inward loneliness. He addressed the Lord honestly, admitting both the dangers around him and the distress within him. When David prayed, “Turn

“For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, ‘May the good LORD pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.’” (2 Chronicles 30:18–19 ESV). The Chronicler described a great Passover celebration during the reign of Hezekiah. Messengers had

“For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23 ESV). Paul wrote to believers in Rome who disagreed over food, sacred days, and other disputable matters. Some Christians felt free to eat certain foods, while others believed doing so would violate their conscience. Paul taught that an action could be permissible in itself