Daily Devotions on the One Year Bible by Pastor Gary Combs

If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:31-32 ESV). John recorded that Jesus spoke these words to Jews who had expressed belief in Him. Jesus challenged them beyond a momentary profession of faith and called them to

So Jesus said to them, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.’ (John 8:28 ESV). John recorded Jesus speaking these words to a crowd that struggled to understand

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.' (John 8:12 ESV). John recorded that Jesus spoke these words during the Feast of Tabernacles. During this feast, giant lamps were lit in the temple courts to

‘Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few (1 Samuel 14:6 ESV). Samuel recorded Israel’s battle against the Philistines, contrasting Saul’s fearful hesitation with Jonathan’s courageous faith. While Saul

“Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way” (1 Samuel 12:23 ESV). In 1 Samuel 12:23, the prophet Samuel addressed the people of Israel after they had demanded a

“Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the LORD” (1 Samuel 10:25 ESV). Samuel spoke to the people of Israel at the beginning of Saul’s reign and explained “the rights and duties of the kingship.” What Samuel wrote

“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40 ESV). The apostle John recorded Jesus’ words to the crowd who sought Him after the feeding of the five thousand.

‘And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”’ (John 6:12 ESV). In John 6, the apostle John recorded Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the five thousand. After multiplying a little boys lunch of five barley loaves and two fish, Jesus commanded that the

And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision (1 Samuel 3:1 ESV). The book of 1 Samuel described a dark season in Israel’s history near the end of the period of the judges, when the people had abandoned God’s ways and “everyone did what was right in

“‘This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.’” (John 5:18 ESV). In John 5:18, John explained why the Jewish leaders intensified their opposition to Jesus. They accused Him

“So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast” (John 4:45 ESV). The apostle John wrote that when Jesus returned to Galilee, the people welcomed Him because they had seen His works in Jerusalem.

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him” (John 4:23 ESV). The Apostle John recorded that as Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, He declared that a new era of worship had

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30 ESV) The Apostle John recorded that John the Baptist spoke these words to his disciples as they wrestled with Jesus gaining more followers. Rather than reacting with jealousy or insecurity, John the Baptist responded with joyful humility. He understood that his role as the forerunner was

“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:7 ESV). In the Gospel of John, the apostle recorded Jesus’ nighttime conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and teacher of Israel. When Nicodemus expressed amazement and confusion about being born again, Jesus corrected him, saying he should not be surprised. His

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” (Psalm 103:1 ESV). David, the psalmist and king of Israel, called upon his own soul to worship the LORD with wholehearted devotion. Writing in a context of personal reflection, he did not begin by addressing others but by speaking

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:51 ESV). Jesus spoke these words to His newest follower, Nathanael. Nathanael had just expressed amazement that Jesus knew him, having seen him under the fig tree, a small but

“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, ‘If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.’” (Judges

“Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45 ESV). Luke wrote that after His resurrection, Jesus met with His disciples and opened their understanding of the Scriptures concerning Him. Earlier in the chapter, they were slow of heart to believe and were even kept from recognizing Him. Though they had walked with

“But Gideon said to them, ‘I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.’” (Judges 8:23 ESV). After Gideons military victory over Midian, the people asked Gideon to establish a dynasty and rule over them, but Gideon refused, declaring that the LORD alone would

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!” (Psalm 98:4–6 ESV). The

“And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.” (Luke 23:12 ESV). Luke recorded for his readers that Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas became friends on the very day Jesus stood trial. Previously, these two rulers had been at odds, likely

“Lord, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the region of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped, yes, the clouds dropped water” (Judges 5:4 ESV). Deborah and Barak sang to the people of Israel after the Lord delivered them from the Canaanite commander, Sisera. In this victory song, they described

“The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt” (Psalm 93:1 ESV). The psalmist declared to the worshiping community of Israel that the LORD reigns as King over all. He described God with the imagery of a royal robe, clothed in majesty and girded

“And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the LORD had done for Israel” (Judges 2:7 ESV). The book of Judges recorded that Israel served the LORD not only during the lifetime of Joshua,

“But Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God.’” (Joshua 24:19 ESV). In the closing chapter of Joshua, he addressed the people of Israel as they renewed their covenant with the LORD at Shechem. After the people confidently declared their intention to serve the

“Jesus said to them, ‘The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.’” (Luke 20:34–35 ESV). In Luke, Jesus responded to the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection and

“So by command of the LORD the people of Israel gave to the Levites out of their inheritance these cities and pasturelands” (Joshua 21:3 ESV). Joshua recorded how the people of Israel responded in obedience to the Lord’s command to give the Levites cities out of their inheritance. This command from the Lord was both

And he was teaching them and saying to them, Is it not written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.' (Luke 19:46 ESV). In the gospel of Luke, he recorded that Jesus entered the temple and publicly rebuked those who had corrupted its purpose. In

“Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God” (Psalm 87:3 ESV). The sons of Korah wrote this psalm, celebrating Zion as the city God had chosen for His dwelling. They declared that glorious things were spoken about this city, not merely by human admiration but by God Himself. These words pointed beyond the

“But the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah could not drive out, so the Jebusites dwell with the people of Judah at Jerusalem to this day” (Joshua 15:63 ESV). Joshua recorded that Judah received a rich inheritance, yet they did not fully drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem. Even within the promised

“Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation” (Psalm 85:6–7 ESV). The sons of Korah wrote this psalm after Israels return from exile, reminding them that although God had restored them to the land, they were still spiritually

“So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war” (Joshua 11:23 ESV). Joshua recorded this verse as a concluding summary of Israel’s conquest under his leadership, written

“As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, he feared greatly” (Joshua 10:1-2 ESV).

“Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin” (Proverbs 13:3 ESV). In Proverbs, writing as a fatherly voice of wisdom to his son and to God’s people, Solomon taught that words are not neutral but carry moral weight. He contrasted the one who guards his mouth with

“When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us, or for our adversaries?’ And he said, ‘No; but I am the commander of the

“And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.’” (Luke 14:23 ESV). In Lukes gospel, Jesus told a parable to those gathered at a meal, confronting their assumptions about who would share in God’s kingdom. In this parable,

“Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land…” (Deuteronomy 34:1 ESV). In this last chapter of the Torah, Moses, the servant of the LORD, made his final ascent up Mount Nebo, a mountain overlooking