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Bible Reading Plan for 2021

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2021 is now here! What better time than the start of a new year to refresh your time spent reading God’s Word? 

This year I am planning to follow the 5 Day Bible Reading Plan, and I encourage you to consider it for your daily Bible reading. 

Here are a few reasons why I choose this plan year after year:

  • As the name of the plan communicates, the weekly Bible readings are divided over 5 days. This is helpful for people like me who either camp out in a passage (or verse) longer than expected and need to catch up, or for those days when I miss a Bible reading and need the extra time built into the schedule. With 5 readings per week you can stretch the readings out, or take advantage of the extra 2 days to reflect on key passages from the week. 
  • The schedule takes you through a mostly-chronological approach to the Bible, reading the passages in order as the events happened. I say “mostly” because the plan saves Job for last even though his life story happened sometime between Genesis 11 and 12. 
  • For those who want to focus on reading through the New Testament only, you can use the same plan to achieve that goal too. 

Recently one of our daughters asked my wife and I how we can be sure the Bible is really from God, and how we can know for sure that all the people who wrote it told the truth. That’s an important question indeed! And truthfully, the best way to comprehend the truth of God’s Word is to let it speak! 

The plan I’m recommending today has been a blessing to both me and my wife over 2020, and we’re looking to give it another try this year. You can download it right here. Will you join us in making 2021 a year together in God’s Word?

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P.S. If you have kids, what reading plan should you consider to encourage their growth and faith? Here are a couple of articles that may help:

Tim Challies: The Best Daily Bible Reading Plan for Kids

Peter Krol on Knowable Word: Teaching Bible Study to Children

Advent 2020 – Luke 2:1-21 (Dec. 25)

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On this Christmas morning, wherever you are, remember the simplicity yet splendor of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Read the ancient text with wonder anew. Meditate on the old story and pause to worship the King of all kings. 

Luke 2:1–21

[1] In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. [2] This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. [3] And all went to be registered, each to his own town. [4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, [5] to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. [6] And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. [7] And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

[8] And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9] And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. [10] And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

[14] “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”


[15] When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” [16] And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. [17] And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. [18] And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. [19] But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. [20] And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

[21] And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (ESV)

Advent 2020 – 1 John 4:10 (Dec. 24)

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In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10, ESV)

“God loved us and sent His Son.” From their earliest weeks in Awana, each of our kids has memorized that sentence. I can still hear their little voices repeating back those words as we helped them learn them. I’m so grateful for the Awana ministry at our church, and I’m grateful even more that they are learning that wonderful truth at such an early age. 

It’s a sentence that all of us would benefit from memorizing, no matter how old we get! The Apostle John, well in his 80s by this point, had obviously never gotten over the amazing love of God. 

But there’s a big word that often gets left out of the sentence for young and old. And that word is propitiation. It’s admittedly a bit hard to say, and it’s not used in everyday speech. So what is propitiation? The basic definition is this: turning away all of God’s wrath for sin and turning all God’s attention to us as favor. In other words, Jesus our Savior took on Himself all of God’s anger toward us due to our sin until all of God’s wrath was completely satisfied and poured out. It’s like imagining a cup that’s full and turned over until every last drop is poured out. That’s what happened to God’s wrath. Jesus the Lord drank every last drop for all who call on Him by faith for salvation. What an amazing gift! 

But please don’t miss this crucial thing: God the Father was not distant, angry, and unwilling to forgive sinners until Jesus satisfied Him. No, for our text tells us that even when we were the rightful recipients of all God’s wrath, even when He had all those charges against us, God loved us! This is the mystery of the heart of our God: that although He was full of justified anger toward sinners, He loved them and gave them His greatest gift, His own Son. 

Oh, remember this Christmas Eve that the Father loved you and sent His Son. Remember that all God’s wrath towards you, if you have believed on Jesus Christ for salvation, has been completely satisfied. Now God looks on you with favor, motivated to withhold no good thing from you. And if you have a Christmas tree or any gifts nearby, may they remind you of one of the greatest gifts of God to you: propitiation for your sins. 

Advent 2020 – Luke 2:8-20 (Dec. 23)

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“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14, ESV)

The night sky must have exploded with light as countless angels sang that song. It’s a chorus that has sounded down through the millennia, and no doubt you have read it, heard it or even seen it on a few Christmas cards many times already this season. 

But do we truly take the time to take in the actual words the angels sang? It’s worth doing that phrase by phrase. 

“Glory to God in the highest” – The angels worship God through their song, addressing Him first in His dwelling place, the “highest.” Where is this place? It’s not on any maps. It’s not on any star charts. This is the realm of God’s dwelling, where everything is perfect and glory (the majesty and weightiness of God) fills every place and everything. Yet on this night of the Savior’s birth, more glory goes to God in the realm from which His Son has come. 

“And on earth peace” – We measure peace mostly by the absence of any conflict. No wars or fighting. Yet the biblical word includes so much more: Wholeness, complete harmony in your life, and even prosperity. It’s life working as it should with nothing out of joint. When the angels declare peace on earth, they mean on one hand that the war is over between God and humans. God made the way for rebel humans to be made right again with Him through the Son that He gave. And the angels mean that peace is now delivered to man with man and woman with man. The conflicts that divide us no longer need divide us because God’s Son has arrived, declaring peace with us. 

“Among those with whom he is pleased” – There is one qualification, for peace does not happen to you just because you live on this earth. God is pleased by faith, and as Hebrews reminds us, 

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6, ESV)

God receives glory when we believe His word and receive His Son as our only Savior and Lord. You don’t have to accomplish great things to earn your peace. You don’t have to be rich, smart or popular. But you must exercise faith in God and in His Son. These are God’s terms of peace. Believe on His Son and you will be saved! 

Glory, peace and the pleasure of God. These are the theme of the angels’ song. Don’t rush over those words but pause to worship and talk to God today, thanking Him for those terms of peace, and giving glory to him by faith. 

Advent 2020 – Isaiah 7:10-14 (Dec. 22)

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[10] Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: [11] “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” [12] But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” [13] And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? [14] Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:10–14, ESV).

Recently my son showed me the book on the 9/11 tragedy that he borrowed from the library. That watershed day stands out in vivid detail in my memory, but he wasn’t alive then, and the culture after that day in America is all he’s known. We talked about surprise attacks from enemies; why people planned to cause so many deaths, and whether that could happen again. It was a day of great fear, and it still tempts us to fear.

Has anything caused you fear this year? Fear is a crucial tool God uses to reveal in us where we place our confidence: in God or in our own resources.

King Ahaz faced the threat of two kingdoms uniting against Judah and camping outside the city of Jerusalem waiting to attack. Ahaz’s solution was to send a bunch of gold to the king of Assyria in a cry for help. Ahaz trusted in his own resources during a time of great fear. 

God’s mercy is so vast. Even after Ahaz had betrayed the Lord that way, God still gave him a chance to repent and believe! That’s why God offered Ahaz a sign. But, since Ahaz had already declared his god to be gold, he refused to ask God for a sign. That’s when God introduced the biggest sign of all: Immanuel. 

It’s a name, and it means “God with us.” But it’s so much more than a name: it’s a Person. Specifically it’s a prophecy that was ultimately and fully accomplished in and by Jesus Christ. The foundation of our hope is the God Man Jesus Christ. Our hope is not that something bad won’t happen. It’s not that something good will come. Our hope is God with us, Jesus Christ. 

My son spoke such an encouraging truth about 9/11 and the threat of war. After we talked he concluded with this: “Buildings will fall down, but heaven is forever.” Amen. That’s true. Fear reveals where we place our confidence. It can’t be in things of this world, but in the One who entered this world.

The Lord gave Immanuel, God with us, as the sure and final word of promise. Lean into Jesus, fully trusting Him to keep you through whatever comes. As the prophet Isaiah said about the Lord, 

[3] You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3, ESV)

Advent 2020 – Psalm 24:1-10 (Dec. 21)

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Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? 

Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. (Psalm 24:3, 7, ESV)

When you read the Psalm for today, it’s helpful to picture King David leading the Ark of God back into Jerusalem and into the Temple. The streets are full of people following David, worshipping the Lord who created and owns all the world yet wills to dwell among His chosen people.

 Yet, David muses, who can enter the Lord’s most holy place? It can’t be just anyone casually trying to get close to God. Only those with pure hearts and hands can enter God’s presence. In other words, such a person not only has to get the actions of worship right but the motives and heart to do them for the right reasons. 

I talked about this passage with my wife, for I didn’t know just how to think of this passage in relation to Advent. I don’t want to write anything contrived, but then she mentioned a great illustration. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, had a unique opportunity to enter the holy place of God, and his heart was judged as impure. When the angel Gabriel told him that he and his wife Elizabeth would bear a son in their old age, Zechariah scoffed and doubted. God shut Zechariah’s mouth to discipline him for his unbelief. Deceit and impure obedience won’t be tolerated. 

Wow! So, what can any of us do? If Zechariah, who was called blameless before the Lord, could be struck mute for his unbelief, what can we expect when we ourselves go before the Lord? 

After Zechariah’s son John was born, he worshipped God for fulfilling His word. Zechariah had gone through his time of discipline and responded with humility toward the Lord. He prophesied in Luke 1, speaking to his son:

[76] And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
[77] to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
[78] because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
[79] to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:76–79, ESV)

Zechariah learned by experience that God is faithful to the covenant promises He makes. God sent the Lord of glory (Psalm 24:7) into the world, His own Son, to open the way to God. As Zechariah prophesied, the Lord Jesus entered the world like a sunrise on people trapped in darkness. He brought salvation, light, and even peace. 

The greatest of all blessings is having God in your life, present with you, to guide you, save you and give you peace. David recognized this as he sang Psalm 24. Do you recognize this? Jesus came to bring you back to God. Like those outside the gates cried out, I’ll echo in close today, “Let the King of Glory in!”

Advent 2020 – John 3:16-19 (Dec. 20)

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We have now reached week 4 of Advent. It’s Sunday today, the Lord’s day. Another day to worship the Lord, an opportunity to head to church, and another week to light an Advent candle. This week we will focus on how the Lord Jesus gives us peace.

John 3:16 is likely the most famous Bible verse of all time. It’s definitely the most familiar and clear summary of the good news. 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV)

Advent declares the message of the Loving and Giving God. When we were at war with God, heading to eternal punishment, God loved us and gave His Son for us. Loving us so much, God did not want us to perish in our sins, separated from Him for all eternity. Giving us His Son, God came near us, declaring that He would take the penalty for our sin, declaring His way to make peace with us. 

Have you bought all the Christmas gifts that you planned to get? If not, you still have a few days. But when you give those gifts to others this week, make it a time of celebration and joy. Remember the Giver, God Himself, who gave us His Son. You can never out-give the Giver!

Advent 2020 – Zechariah 9:9 (Dec. 19)

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This week it has been good to focus on joy. We need joy to rule our hearts, and not to give in to what our circumstances and feelings might otherwise demand. The joy we’ve read about this week in our Advent passages has described the joy of knowing Jesus Christ and placing Him first in our lives. 

Zechariah was a prophet to the Jews who returned from exile in Persia to Jerusalem. The temple was not yet rebuilt, and the construction often halted. Zechariah encouraged the people to not give up, to trust the Lord to rebuild them as a nation, and that the long-awaited Messiah King would come. 

Have you ever felt discouraged in recent days that your work or your relationships or something else important was just too hard for you to work at? I imagine that’s how the Jewish people felt when they looked at their unfinished temple, longing for the glory of the old temple, and wondering if God would keep His promises to send the King. 

Zechariah wanted to encourage the people, so he wrote what God told him to record for them.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9, ESV)

Rejoice greatly. What might that look like? I imagine it was a lot like the people who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem the day He rode in on that colt. They cried out with excitement, they cheered; they threw their coats on the dirty ground for Jesus to ride over. Their joy reached a fever pitch as they cried out, “Come save!” Joy in seeing your King arrive would cause any of us to forget ourselves and join in the glad song of welcome that the Savior King is here! 

We are like the Jews in Zechariah’s day. We are easily discouraged and lose sight of the promises of God. Yet, Advent is a time to remember that God’s promises are certain. Jesus rode into Jerusalem as our King. And if you read 2 more verses in Zechariah (chapter 9, verses 10-11), you’ll see that the prophecy that Jesus fulfilled by riding on the colt is not fully accomplished just yet. Some day, and maybe soon, the King will return to fully make right all the wrongs and reign from His throne here on earth. Again, we say, Come, gracious King! Rule in all our hearts and on Your throne. 

Even now, let every heart prepare Him room. 

Advent 2020 – Revelation 1:4-8 (Dec. 18)

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Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. (Revelation 1:7, ESV)

Have you sung “Joy to the World” yet this Advent season? It’s one of the recommended songs from our church prayer team that we should sing this week. It’s a wonderful hymn that we sing to celebrate the Son of God coming into our world. 

But did you know that “Joy to the World” was written not to celebrate the birth but the second coming of Jesus? Isaac Watts, the author, wrote many of the hymns we love, such as “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” and “Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed?” When Watts wrote “Joy to the World,” he didn’t intend it to be a song but a poem based on Psalm 98. How thankful I am, though, that his rich poetry was accompanied with music so we can celebrate the coming of our Lord. 

How is this song better suited for the second advent of our Lord? Consider these words:

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found!
Far as the curse is found!
Far as . . . far as . . . the curse is found!

When the Lord Jesus came as a baby, grew into manhood, took our place on the cross to die, then rise again, He did not at that time invade all areas where the curse of sin is found. He did not at that time replace all curse with grace. We feel the effects of the curse still. We hurt with others suffering. We ourselves suffer the sting of physical pain, even the brokenness caused by sin. But there is a time when Jesus will come again, and at that time… at that time He will spread His blessings as far as the curse is found. And sin, pain, suffering, brokenness will be no more!

The Lord Jesus Christ stood in front of the Apostle John, recorded in Revelation 1:8, and said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega…  who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Amen. And when we sing “Joy to the World,” remember that Jesus came once, and He is coming again soon with power. 

Advent 2020 – 1 John 1:1-4 (Dec. 17)

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The main truth of Advent is that in the Person of Jesus Christ, God took on humanity and came to earth to live among us. This is what the Apostle John could never get over. 

John is likely in his 80s when he wrote the verses in today’s Advent reading. He was living in Ephesus, where he’d resettled to avoid the Roman conquest of Jerusalem. Yet, elderly and far from home, John is filled with joy. Why? Because he got to live alongside Jesus Christ, listening to him, talking to him and touching him. God really came to the earth, and His desire was to hang out with and experience life as a human. 

John’s letter begins rather abruptly as he brings us into the experience he had when Jesus was with him and the other disciples. John wants us to share that experience with him, but he says it starts with us believing his eyewitness report. Both in John’s day and in our time, people deny that God really came and took on flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ. What advantage is there to deny that truth? Well, false teachers love the opportunity to lead people astray, and it also gives us a sense of freedom to sin that ultimately traps and destroys us. 

John says that God “was made manifest” (2), meaning He was revealed to be seen and known. God’s mission wasn’t hidden. The Messiah wasn’t concealed. He came to be known by his people and to know them. 

Ultimately, this is why we can have fellowship with God the Father and with Jesus Christ: God took the initiative to live among us and rescue us from our sin. 

But God didn’t stop there. He didn’t go to all the trouble of taking on human flesh merely to take on human sin. Now, that was a massive, only-God-could-do-that thing, but He continued from there to personally come to each sinner, even now, who calls on Him by faith and fills them with joy. Where does that joy come from? It comes from the Word of Life Himself, Jesus, living in you. 

Even though John was old and Jesus had returned to heaven decades earlier, he still could not get over the wonder of what God had done through the Person of Jesus Christ. He was out to spread joy, so that all of us could be filled with joy along with him. A joy that doesn’t depend on the circumstances around us. A joy that doesn’t mean the same as the feeling of happiness. This is joy that defies circumstances and rises above feelings to give us deep, abiding joy – because Jesus dwells with us.