Use this devo as you are able, in whole or in part. Don’t feel compelled to read it all. Simply read and meditate upon whatever catches your attention. The goal is enjoying time with God through His Word and in prayer. Questions about the devotional elements?

Call to Prayer

God of love and laughter, did you take delight in giraffes or chuckle over puffer fish? And who conceived of noses? You gave every creature its being, form, and appearance. As each creature and organism speaks of your extravagant life and serves your purposes, inspire me to care for them on your behalf. Amen.(Prayer based on the Belgic Confession, Q12)

*Prayer borrowed from Philip Reinders’ Seeking God’s Face: Praying with the Bible through the Year

Reading Plan

This reading plan will help you to develop the habit of being in God’s Word each morning and evening. Come to this time with expectation. Expect God to reveal himself to you. Expect that he delights in you being there, even when you’ve wandered away. Growing a spiritual habit is a slow, patient process. So be kind to yourself as you grow! 

Readings are hyperlinked. Simply hover over the passage or click Morning/Evening Reading (email version).

Morning Readings:

Pray Psalm 45 | Read Hebrews 8

• Praying the Psalms: Read slowly. Take note of words and phrases. Bring them before the Lord in prayer and personalize the passage as you pray.
• NT Context: “ Our main and central task is to live in responsive obedience to [the gospel]. But more often than not we become impatiently self-important along the way and decide to improve matters with our two cents’ worth.” We add on, we supplement, we embellish. Hebrews is written to “add on, Jesus-and” Christians such as ourselves. It wakes us up to the reality that Jesus is just plain better than all our add ons” Meditate on the passage, noting a few words or a phrase that stood out. Take them to God in prayer.

Evening Readings:

Pray Psalm 46 | Read Job 32

• OT Context: Job is “the one book in all of Scripture most obviously concerned with suffering…Job reveals, in a way unlike any other book in all of Scripture, a unique kind of ordeal that God sometimes allows to befall his children, a dimension of suffering both intense and inexplicable, which has nothing to do with sin and (strange as it might sound) nothing to do with growing us spiritually.” Though we do grow through such suffering, the purpose of suffering according to Job’s story is not our growth, but rather our knowing and loving of God himself, on His terms (like I said, offensive and strange, but true). Reflect on the passage. Who was the original audience, and what was their situation? How is that relevant to you today?

Sermon Devo

Our sermon Devo takes a break during for summer, does some beach reading, a few home projects, and will be back in the Fall! Looking for something to read in its place this summer? Try Paul David Tripp’s New Morning Mercies!

Evening Prayer of Examen

• Where did you move with or feel close to Jesus today?
• Where did you resist or feel far from Jesus today?
• Where is Jesus leading you tomorrow? Ask for joy as you follow him.

Benediction