Reading a daily devotional is another way to
read a Bible verse each day. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when reading a devotional:
1. A devotional is not a substitute for Bible reading.
It can be a great supplement to your
daily Bible reading. It can also be a great way to ease into Bible reading if you are new to this, but
don't neglect the Bible in favor of the devotional.
In fact, while reading the devotional, grab your Bible and look up the verse that it references so you can see it in context. Read the verse that goes before and comes after it, or better yet, read the entire chapter. Even better, read the entire book. For example, if the verse of the day is
John 3:16, open your Bible and look at
John 3:15-17, or read all of
John 3, or read the
Gospel of John.
2. Be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11 and test the devotional using the Bible as the standard.
This takes prayer, practice, and patience. One way to do this is to read the verse in context. (See #1.) While you're reading your Bible, look up the cross references verses in the margins. Another helpful tool is to use an online topical Bible search such as the one at
OpenBible.info. Type in a topic such as "love" or "patience" to see what other Bible verses reference those topics. As always, don't read the stand alone verse; read it in context. (See #1.) Devotional writers are men and women, which means they are fallible. If you encounter a devotional that seems to contradict the Bible,
always go with what the Bible says. Also, just because it's popular doesn't mean it's Biblically-sound.
3. Look for a devotional that explains the Bible verse(s) with Scripture, not opinion.
In other words, it should read almost like a Bible commentary or a sermon with the intent of pointing you to Christ and helping you to understand God's word, not the author's opinion. A good devotional gives analytical insight into some aspect of God's character using the Bible, not the author's opinion, to back it up. Some devotional writers try to appeal to the reader's emotions by using their own opinion and experience to validate the Bible verse or concept. It is the difference between
exegesis and
eisegesis. For further reading, I strongly encourage you to read about the difference between exegesis and eisegesis at GotQuestions.org:
"What is the Difference Between Exegesis and Eisegesis?"
With this in mind, I am recommending the following two devotionals:
Day by Day by Grace - Bob Hoekstra
Morning and Evening - Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Why these two? First, both of these are available online (in more than one location), which means they are free! Second, these were written by preachers who were more concerned with pleasing God rather than man. How do I know this? While I didn't know either of these men personally, when I read their devotionals I see that they are willing to preach the whole counsel of God: that which encourages and edifies and that which rebukes and warns. Reading these daily devotionals is like reading a mini sermon - a sermonette if you will. I have been reading
Day by Day by Grace for going on 3 years, and every year I learn something new. I have haphazardly read Morning and Evening in the past, but this year I decided to read it along with DBDBG and
my Bible reading plan. Both of these devotionals continually point me to Christ, and both challenge me to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (
2 Peter 3:18) This is my opinion and my experience, by the way. Don't take my word for it; test it for yourself using the Bible as the standard.
One final thought: No devotional is perfect, but some are definitely better than others. Earlier I encouraged you to test each devotional you encounter by comparing it to the Bible. There is a certain popular devotional called
Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. Friends, I have to encourage you not to use it. I read it for a full year when I was a new Christian and figuratively speaking, it left a bad taste in my mouth. It seemed reminiscent of my New Age - seeker days yet, I couldn't figure out why until I Googled some reviews. It turns out that I wasn't the only one who had issues with it. For a recent review, I recommend reading
10 Serious Problems with Jesus Calling by Pastor Tim Challies. Remember: just because a book or a teacher/preacher is popular does not mean you should stop being like the
Bereans, searching the Scriptures to see if it's true. Always pray and ask God for discernment and wisdom. The goal is for you to get to know your Lord and Savior who is the Jesus in the Bible, not the Jesus of someone's imagination. May the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
