NL-Day011 Genesis 20-21; Job 11; Mark 7
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 20-21: In chapter 19 of Genesis we heard what happened to Lot and his daughters after being saved from Sodom. The sons of Lot’s daughters became the ancestors of the Moabite and Ammonite races who were always at war with God’s people. JOB 11: In chapter 10, Job accused God, Job 10:13 GNT But now I know that all that time [since birth] you were secretly planning to harm me. 14 You were watching to see if I would sin, so that you could refuse to forgive me. 15 As soon as I sin, I'm in trouble with you, but when I do right, I get no credit. I am miserable and covered with shame. MARK...
info_outline
NL-Day010 Genesis 19; Job 10; Mark 6:30-56
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 19: In yesterday's reading, Abram and Sarai received new names and God confirmed and expanded his covenant with Abram (now Abraham). Circumcision was added as a sign of following the covenant. Angels visited Abraham and Sarah and Abraham bargained with God about saving the few righteous people in Sodom— among whom I am sure Abraham was thinking of Lot. JOB 10: Job continues his response to Bildad. At the end of chapter 9 Job showed mankind's need of a mediator: 32 “God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial. 33 If only there were a mediator between...
info_outline
NL-Day009 Genesis 17-18; Job 9; Mark 6:1-29
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 17-18: In chapter 15 we heard of God's covenant with Abram and Abram's _fully believing_ God's promises. Then in chapter 16 we read of Abram and Sarai trying to help God fulfill his promises. Chapter 15 verse 6 is a famous verse that is quoted three times in the NT: 6 Abram put his trust in the Lord, and because of this the Lord was pleased with him and accepted him. (GNT) [The NT translates this verse a bit differently because it is quoted from the Septuagint (the LXX, the ancient translation of the Old Testament into Koine Greek, made in the third and second centuries BC). ] JOB 9:...
info_outline
NL-Day008 Genesis 15-16; Job 8; Mark 5:21-43
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 15-16: Yesterday we heard the stories of Abram and Lot separating company, and of Abram rescuing Lot in time of war. Then we heard of the mysterious priest Melchizedek (who we will read about in the NT in Hebrews). JOB 8: In the preceding two chapters, Job said some very despairing and angry words, telling God basically to go take a walk and leave him alone. Job again wished for his own death. He said to God, 19 Won't you look away long enough for me to swallow my spit? 20 Are you harmed by my sin, you jailer? Why use me for your target practice? Am I so great a burden to you? 21...
info_outline
NL-Day007 Genesis 13-14; Job 7; Mark 5:1-20
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
GENESIS 13-14: In yesterday's reading we heard about God scattering people by confusing their languages. It’s important to remember that the city they were building is called Babylon. Then we traced the ancestry of Abram, who descended from Seth's line. Then we read about the call of Abram and what happened when they were staying in Egypt because of a famine. Abram doesn’t sound like a model husband. JOB 7: Today we hear the second chapter of Job’s response to Eliphaz. In chapter 6 Job said, 10 GNT If I knew he [God] would [kill me], I would leap for joy, no matter how great my pain. I...
info_outline
NL-Day006 Genesis 11-12; Job 6; Mark 4:21-41
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
If you are reading along while listening to the recordings, you will notice that I often exchange the word ‘believe’ (or ‘fully believe’) for ‘faith’. This is because the English word ‘faith’ is used with all kinds of fuzzy meanings these days and can easily be misunderstood. 1) In Greek, ‘faith’ and ‘believe’ are the noun and verb forms of the same root word. 2) When one uses an abstract noun like ‘faith’ in English, the object of the faith is lost— in this case the Person who is being believed. Note that ‘faith’ does not have a vague meaning like...
info_outline
NL-Day005 Genesis 9-10; Job 5; Mark 4:1-25
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Choose a good Bible version for your reading this year!I recommend that you choose a good meaning-based translation for your Bible reading this year, not one of the literal versions. I recommend that you use a literal version whenever you have time for in-depth study, but not for your daily devotional reading. Here’s the difference: The advantage of a literal translation is that it gives you a word-for-word view into the _form_ of the original. The disadvantage of literal translations is that they cannot give you the _meaning_ in clear and natural English. The advantage of a meaning-based...
info_outline
000: 2026 Daily Bible Reading Introduction and How-to's
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Hi there! I’m so glad you have clicked to listen to this introduction to the Digging Deeper Daily Bible reading plan and podcasts for 2025. If you want to read the Bible in a great reading plan that will hold your attention and enable you to stay with the program, you are in the right place. If you want to listen, the complete Bibles I have recorded following my reading plan are the New Living Translation and the Good News Bible. If you can, do both: listen to the podcast while reading along. My name is Phil Fields. I’m almost 75 years old and happily married to Gale. We have three...
info_outline
NL-Day004 Genesis 7-8; Job 4; Mark 3
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
Most people find out about the DBRP through the YouVersion Bible reading app on their smart device. If you are one who has found out about these podcasts through some other means (such as via Apple Podcasts), then I want to make you aware that the Bible app created by YouVersion is wonderful. You can subscribe to the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan within the app, then reading along with these daily podcasts is very easy. Just start your episode using your podcast player, then go to your day in the YouVersion Reading Plan. Please be aware that you can turn on the YouVersion app’s audio for...
info_outline
NL-Day003 Genesis 5-6; Job 3; Mark 2
Daily Bible Reading Phil Fields
How can you get more out of your Bible reading this year? My top advice is to SLOW DOWN! The readings in this plan take around 20 minutes if read aloud. If you read silently, you might finish in only 10 minutes. But if you skim through like that, you won’t retain very much! I suggest these two ways to slow down: 1. Read out loud to yourself. Read expressively. When you find that your first attempt didn’t quite have the right intonation, go back and read the sentence again. Take time to think about— and pray about, what you have just read. 2. Read along while listening to the Daily Bible...
info_outlineEXODUS 11-12:
Yesterday we heard of the plague against the livestock, the plague of boils, and the plague of hail. We are not told how much time there was in between each plague. It seems there was enough time for many Egyptians to buy more livestock before they were again decimated by the hail. Then we heard about the plague of locusts followed by the plague of darkness.
I hope you noticed Who is doing the hardening of hearts and causing the stubbornness. Paul talks about that in Romans 9.
JOB 36:
This is Elihu's 5th chapter.
JAMES 5:
In chapter 4, James preached against the way the world had infiltrated the church— and we could say, still infiltrates the church. He gave an important clue about why God doesn't answer our prayers. And he taught that we need to purify our hearts from pride and having divided loyalty between God and the world. He gave a big clue on how to be rid of Satan's influence. Finally James taught us how prideful it is to judge others, and warned about prideful planning.
Note that in verses 1-6 of our reading today, James is using the rhetorical device called ‘apostrophe’— where he harshly rebukes rich people who are NOT actually in his audience. He is is doing this to give comfort to his actual audience, which includes many who are poor. It is almost certainly the case that any rich people who were actually part of James’ audience had not done the crimes James mentions.
NLT Translation notes:
James 5:3-4 3 Your gold and silver [have become worthless//are corroded]. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This [0//corroded] treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. [The wages you held back cry out against you.//0] The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
[I moved the idea of ‘rust’ in verse 3 to verse 4. Literally, ‘the rust of them will become a testimony against you’.]
Jam. 5:11 We give great honor to those who endured under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how[-- at the end/0], the Lord was kind to him [0/at the end], for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.
15 [ [PET] And God will answer their prayers for healing which are supported by fully believing that the Lord is answering. The Lord will bring him back to health. And if his sickness was caused by his sins, through such prayers, the Lord will forgive him. //Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.]
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.