M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
10 Then Samuel took a flask(A) of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed(B) you ruler over his inheritance?[a](C) 2 When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb,(D) at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys(E) you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried(F) about you. He is asking, “What shall I do about my son?”’
3 “Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to worship God at Bethel(G) will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. 4 They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread,(H) which you will accept from them.
5 “After that you will go to Gibeah(I) of God, where there is a Philistine outpost.(J) As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets(K) coming down from the high place(L) with lyres, timbrels,(M) pipes(N) and harps(O) being played before them, and they will be prophesying.(P) 6 The Spirit(Q) of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed(R) into a different person. 7 Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever(S) your hand(T) finds to do, for God is with(U) you.
8 “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal.(V) I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven(W) days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”
Saul Made King
9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed(X) Saul’s heart, and all these signs(Y) were fulfilled(Z) that day. 10 When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit(AA) of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying.(AB) 11 When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this(AC) that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”(AD)
12 A man who lived there answered, “And who is their father?” So it became a saying: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”(AE) 13 After Saul stopped prophesying,(AF) he went to the high place.
14 Now Saul’s uncle(AG) asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?”
“Looking for the donkeys,(AH)” he said. “But when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”
15 Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.”
16 Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys(AI) had been found.” But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.
17 Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the Lord at Mizpah(AJ) 18 and said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed(AK) you.’ 19 But you have now rejected(AL) your God, who saves(AM) you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king(AN) over us.’(AO) So now present(AP) yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.”
20 When Samuel had all Israel come forward by tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21 Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was taken.(AQ) Finally Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. 22 So they inquired(AR) further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?”
And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.”
23 They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller(AS) than any of the others. 24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen?(AT) There is no one like(AU) him among all the people.”
Then the people shouted, “Long live(AV) the king!”
25 Samuel explained(AW) to the people the rights and duties(AX) of kingship.(AY) He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the Lord. Then Samuel dismissed the people to go to their own homes.
26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah,(AZ) accompanied by valiant men(BA) whose hearts God had touched. 27 But some scoundrels(BB) said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts.(BC) But Saul kept silent.
Life Through the Spirit
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation(A) for those who are in Christ Jesus,(B) 2 because through Christ Jesus(C) the law of the Spirit who gives life(D) has set you[a] free(E) from the law of sin(F) and death. 3 For what the law was powerless(G) to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b](H) God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh(I) to be a sin offering.[c](J) And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement(K) of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.(L)
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;(M) but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.(N) 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death,(O) but the mind governed by the Spirit is life(P) and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God;(Q) it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh(R) cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh(S) but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.(T) And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,(U) they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you,(V) then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead(W) is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies(X) because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.(Y) 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die;(Z) but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,(AA) you will live.(AB)
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God(AC) are the children of God.(AD) 15 The Spirit(AE) you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again;(AF) rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.”(AG) 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit(AH) that we are God’s children.(AI) 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs(AJ)—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings(AK) in order that we may also share in his glory.(AL)
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.(AM) 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God(AN) to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it,(AO) in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay(AP) and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.(AQ)
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning(AR) as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,(AS) groan(AT) inwardly as we wait eagerly(AU) for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.(AV) 24 For in this hope we were saved.(AW) But hope that is seen is no hope at all.(AX) Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.(AY)
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit(AZ) himself intercedes for us(BA) through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts(BB) knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes(BC) for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good(BD) of those who love him, who[i] have been called(BE) according to his purpose.(BF) 29 For those God foreknew(BG) he also predestined(BH) to be conformed to the image of his Son,(BI) that he might be the firstborn(BJ) among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined,(BK) he also called;(BL) those he called, he also justified;(BM) those he justified, he also glorified.(BN)
More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things?(BO) If God is for us,(BP) who can be against us?(BQ) 32 He who did not spare his own Son,(BR) but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge(BS) against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns?(BT) No one. Christ Jesus who died(BU)—more than that, who was raised to life(BV)—is at the right hand of God(BW) and is also interceding for us.(BX) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?(BY) Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?(BZ) 36 As it is written:
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors(CB) through him who loved us.(CC) 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future,(CD) nor any powers,(CE) 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God(CF) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(CG)
A Message About the Philistines
47 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines(A) before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:(B)
2 This is what the Lord says:
“See how the waters are rising in the north;(C)
they will become an overflowing torrent.
They will overflow the land and everything in it,
the towns and those who live in them.
The people will cry out;
all who dwell in the land will wail(D)
3 at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,
at the noise of enemy chariots(E)
and the rumble of their wheels.
Parents will not turn to help their children;
their hands will hang limp.(F)
4 For the day has come
to destroy all the Philistines
and to remove all survivors
who could help Tyre(G) and Sidon.(H)
The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,(I)
the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.[a](J)
5 Gaza will shave(K) her head in mourning;
Ashkelon(L) will be silenced.
You remnant on the plain,
how long will you cut(M) yourselves?
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd,(A) I lack nothing.(B)
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,(C)
3 he refreshes my soul.(D)
He guides me(E) along the right paths(F)
for his name’s sake.(G)
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a](H)
I will fear no evil,(I)
for you are with me;(J)
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table(K) before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;(L)
my cup(M) overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love(N) will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 24
Of David. A psalm.
1 The earth is the Lord’s,(O) and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;(P)
2 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.(Q)
3 Who may ascend the mountain(R) of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?(S)
4 The one who has clean hands(T) and a pure heart,(U)
who does not trust in an idol(V)
or swear by a false god.[b]
5 They will receive blessing(W) from the Lord
and vindication(X) from God their Savior.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face,(Y) God of Jacob.[c][d]
7 Lift up your heads, you gates;(Z)
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King(AA) of glory(AB) may come in.(AC)
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,(AD)
the Lord mighty in battle.(AE)
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty(AF)—
he is the King of glory.
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