M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
God’s Ten Great Laws
5 Then Moses called all Israel, and said to them, “Listen, O Israel, to the Laws which I speak in your hearing today. Learn them and be careful to live by them. 2 The Lord our God made an agreement with us at Mount Sinai. 3 The Lord did not make this agreement with our fathers, but with us, all those of us alive here today. 4 The Lord spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the center of the fire. 5 I was standing between the Lord and you then, to tell you the Word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said:
6 ‘I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house where you were servants.
7 ‘Have no other gods except Me.
8 ‘Do not make a false god for yourselves, or anything that is like what is in heaven above or on the earth below or in the water under the earth. 9 Do not bow down to them or serve them. I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punish the children, the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren for the sins of their fathers who hate Me. 10 But I show loving-kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My Laws.
11 ‘Do not use the name of the Lord your God in a bad way. For the Lord will punish the one who uses His name in a bad way.
12 ‘Remember the Day of Rest, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God told you. 13 Six days you will do all your work. 14 But the seventh day is a Day of Rest to the Lord your God. You, your son, your daughter, your man servant, your woman servant, your bull, donkey or any of your cattle, or the traveler who stays with you, must not do any work on this day. So your man servant and woman servant may rest as well as you. 15 Remember that you were servants in the land of Egypt. The Lord your God brought you out of there by a powerful hand and a long arm. So the Lord your God told you to keep the Day of Rest.
16 ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has told you. So your life may be long and it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God gives you.
17 ‘Do not kill another person.
18 ‘Do not do sex sins.
19 ‘Do not steal.
20 ‘Do not tell a lie about your neighbor.
21 ‘Do not have a desire for your neighbor’s wife. Do not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his man servant, his bull, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’
22 “The Lord spoke these words to you while you were all gathered at the mountain. He spoke with a loud voice from the center of the fire, the cloud and the darkness. He added no more. And He wrote them on two pieces of stone and gave them to me.
The People Are Afraid
23 “When you heard the voice from the center of the darkness while the mountain burned with fire, you came to me with all the heads of your families and your leaders. 24 And you said, ‘See, the Lord our God has shown us His shining-greatness. We have heard His voice from the center of the fire. Today we have seen that God speaks with man and man still lives. 25 But why should we die now? For this big fire will burn us up. If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, we will die. 26 For who of all flesh has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking from the center of the fire, as we have heard, and lived? 27 Go near and hear all the Lord our God says. Then tell us all the Lord our God says to you, and we will listen and do it.’
28 “The Lord heard what you said when you spoke to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the words which the people have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have said. 29 If only they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and live by all My Laws always! Then it would go well with them and with their children forever. 30 Go and say to them, “Return to your tents.” 31 But you stand here by Me. And I will tell you all the Laws which you should teach them, so they may keep them in the land I give them for their own.’ 32 Be careful to do just as the Lord your God has told you. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33 Walk in all the way the Lord your God has told you. Then you may live, it may be well with you, and you may live a long time in the land that will belong to you.
A Prayer to Be Saved from Death
88 O Lord, the God Who saves me, I have cried out before You day and night. 2 Let my prayer come to You. Listen to my cry. 3 For my soul is filled with troubles. And my life comes near the grave. 4 I am added among those who go down into the deep hole. I am like a man without strength. 5 I am left among the dead, like those who have been killed and lie in the grave, whom You remember no more. They are cut off from Your help. 6 You have put me in the deepest hole, in a dark and deep place. 7 Your anger has rested upon me. And You have troubled me with all Your waves. 8 You have taken my good friends far from me. You have made me hated by them. I am shut in and cannot go out. 9 My eyes have become weak because of trouble. I have called to You every day, O Lord. I have spread out my hands to You.
10 Will You show Your great works to the dead? Will the dead rise and praise You? 11 Will Your loving-kindness be told about in the grave, and how faithful You are in the place that destroys? 12 Will Your great works be known in the darkness, and Your right and good works in the land where all is forgotten?
13 But I have cried to You for help, O Lord. My prayer comes to You in the morning. 14 O Lord, why do You turn away from me? Why do You hide Your face from me? 15 I have been troubled and near death since I was young. I have suffered Your punishment. And I cannot win. 16 Your burning anger has passed over me. The punishment You have sent destroys me. 17 They gather around me like water all day long. Together they close in upon me. 18 You have taken my friend and loved one far from me. Friends that were near to me are in darkness.
A Prayer for Help
33 It is bad for you, O destroyer, you who were not destroyed yourself! You cannot be trusted, but others have trusted you. As soon as you finish destroying, you will be destroyed. As soon as you stop lying, others will lie to you. 2 O Lord, be kind to us. We have waited for You. Be our strength every morning. Save us in the time of trouble. 3 At the loud noise of battle, the people run. When You lift Yourself up, nations divide and run. 4 The things taken in war will be gathered as the caterpillar gathers. Men rush upon it like locusts. 5 The Lord is honored, for He lives on high. He has filled Zion with what is right and fair and good. 6 He will be for you what is sure and faithful for your times, with much saving power, wisdom and learning. The fear of the Lord is worth much. 7 See, their men with strength of heart cry in the streets. The men sent to bring peace cry many tears. 8 The roads are empty. The traveler does not travel. He has broken the agreement. He has hated the cities. He does not care for man. 9 The land is filled with sorrow and wastes away. Lebanon is put to shame and wastes away. Sharon is like a desert. And Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.
10 “Now I will rise up,” says the Lord. “Now I will be honored. Now I will be lifted up. 11 You bring life to what is of no worth. You give birth to what is of no use. My breath will destroy you like a fire. 12 The people will be burned to white dust, like thorns cut down and burned in the fire.
13 “You who are far away, hear what I have done. And you who are near, speak of My power.” 14 Sinners in Zion are filled with fear. The sinful shake with fear. They cry, “Who among us can live with the fire that destroys? Who among us can live with the fire that burns forever?” 15 He who walks with God, and whose words are good and honest, he who will not take money received from wrong-doing, and will not receive money given in secret for wrong-doing, he who stops his ears from hearing about killing, and shuts his eyes from looking at what is sinful, 16 he will have a place on high. His safe place will be a rock that cannot be taken over. He will be given food and will have water for sure.
17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty. They will see a land that is far away. 18 Your heart will think about fear, asking, “Where is he who numbers? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who numbers the towers?” 19 You will not see people who show no pity, people whose language no one knows, whose strange tongue you cannot understand. 20 Look upon Zion, the city of our special suppers! Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet resting place, a tent that will not be moved. Its tie-downs will never be pulled up, and none of its ropes will be broken. 21 But there the Lord in His great power will be for us. It will be a place of rivers and wide waterways, where no rowboats can go, and where no powerful ships can pass. 22 For the Lord is our judge. The Lord is our law-giver. The Lord is our king. He will save us. 23 Your ropes are loose. They cannot hold the sail up in its place or spread it out. Then the many riches taken in battle will be divided. Even those who cannot walk will take the riches. 24 And no one living there will say, “I am sick.” The people who live there will be forgiven of their sin.
Words to the Church in Sardis
3 “Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Sardis: ‘The One Who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: I know what you are doing. I know people think you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Make stronger what you have before it dies. I have not found your work complete in God’s sight. 3 So remember what you have received and heard. Keep it. Be sorry for your sins and turn from them. If you will not wake up, I will come as a robber. You will not know at what time I will come. 4 But there are a few people in the church in the city of Sardis whose clothes are not dirty with sins. They will walk with Me wearing white clothes. They have done what they should. 5 Everyone who has power and wins will wear white clothes. I will not take his name from the book of life. I will speak of his name before My Father and His angels. 6 You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Words to the Church in Philadelphia
7 “Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Philadelphia: ‘He Who is holy and true, Who holds the key of David, Who opens and no man can shut, Who shuts and no man can open, says this: 8 I know what you are doing. See! You do not have much power, but you have obeyed My Word. You have not turned against Me. So I have given you an open door that no man can shut. 9 See! There are some who belong to Satan. They say they are Jews, but they are not. They are liars. See! I will make them come to you and get down at your feet. Then they will know that I love you. 10 I will keep you from the time of trouble. The time to test everyone is about to come to the whole world. I will do this because you have listened to Me and have waited long and have not given up. 11 I am coming very soon. Hold on to what you have so no one can take your crown. 12 I will make the one who has power and wins an important part that holds up the house of God. He will never leave it again. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God. It is the new Jerusalem. The new Jerusalem will come down from My God out of heaven. I will write My new name on him. 13 You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Words to the Church in Laodicea
14 “Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Laodicea: ‘The One Who says, Let it be so, the One Who is faithful, the One Who tells what is true, the One Who made everything in God’s world, says this: 15 I know what you are doing. You are not cold or hot. I wish you were one or the other. 16 But because you are warm, and not hot or cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17 You say that you are rich and that you need nothing, but you do not know that you are so troubled in mind and heart. You are poor and blind and without clothes. 18 You should buy gold from Me that has been tested by fire that you may be rich. Buy white clothes to dress yourself so the shame of not wearing clothes will be taken away. Buy medicine to put on your eyes so you can see. 19 I speak strong words to those I love and I punish them. Have a strong desire to please the Lord. Be sorry for your sins and turn from them. 20 See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and we will eat together. 21 I will allow the one who has power and wins to sit with Me on My throne, as I also had power and won and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.