The beginning of a new year brings about resolutions and resolve; and often for people of biblical faith, that means new commitments to read through the Bible or spend a certain amount of time daily or weekly in reflection on the Bible or one’s faith. For years, Accordance Bible Software has incorporated a Daily Reading feature into its software. In Accordance 12 for Windows and macOS, going to Preferences: Reading/Research allows you to choose a default devotional or Scripture reading plan for personal use. These same titles are also found in the Devotionals section of your personal Accordance Library. When using Accordance Mobile, you’ll find these works in your Devotionals folder.
If you’ve never used Accordance for reading plans or devotional readings, you may not even realize the titles you already have. In Accordance 12, clicking on the Daily Readings icon in the toolbar launches a new workspace with the Daily Reading title on the left and all mentioned Scripture passages on the right.
Of course, some of the titles that fall into the Devotional category are dated and some are not. The ones that are not dated do not work with the Daily Reading feature in Accordance, but you can work through them on your own pace.
If you’re wanting to start off 2019 with a new plan, you might want to choose one you already own, but you may also want to consider one of the new titles described below.
Devotions on the Hebrew Bible
In 2014, we released Devotions on the Greek New Testament. As part of the same series, we are pleased to present Devotions on the Hebrew Bible: 52 Reflections to Inspire and Instruct. Similar in layout to the previously-released volume on the Greek New Testament, Devotions on the Hebrew Bible begins with a verse or phrase from a verse of the Old Testament in both Hebrew as well as a popular translation.
The series is designed for both those proficient in Hebrew as well as those who have already learned the language or are wanting to recover it. Every book in the Hebrew Bible is represented in reflections written by Evangelical authors from diverse backgrounds. As described by the publisher,
Miles Van Pelt, for example, shows that a careful analysis of a grammatical particle in Judges 3:9 elucidates the agent of Israel’s deliverance. Indeed, it is Yahweh who saves! Tremper Longman III explains the role of poetical parallelism in Psalm 1 and highlights how clearly the psalmist invites the reader to introspection, compelling the reader to follow the path of righteousness. And Bo Lim reminds the reader of the biblical precedent for expressing lament. He highlights the poetic artistry of the book of Lamentations, noting its beautiful acrostic, and confirms that both grief and hope provide the rhythm of faith and worship.
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Devotions on the Hebrew Bible is not a dated devotional, but it is designed with the idea of one reading per week. However, you can feel free to go at a slower or faster pace of your choosing.
Devotions on the Hebrew Bible
Regular Price $16.90
Devotions on the Greek New Testament, Volume 2
Accordance users have benefitted from the previous volume on the Greek New Testament in this series. Devotions on the Greek New Testament, Volume Two: 52 Reflections to Inspire & Instruct builds on its predecessor, delivering 52 devotions on every book of the New Testament by over 25 Evangelical scholars from international and diverse backgrounds.
If you have previously worked your way through volume one, this new installment will be an easy choice for 2019. As stated in the preface,
The main point of each devotion in Devotions on the Greek New Testament, Volume Two comes from a careful reading of the passage in the Greek New Testament, not from an English translation. The authors use a variety of exegetical approaches in their devotions—including grammatical, lexical, rhetorical, sociohistorical, and linguistic—and each devotion closes with a practical application or spiritual reflection.
Like its predecessor, as well as the companion volume on the Hebrew Bible, Devotions on the Greek New Testament, vol. 2 is undated, though it is generally designed to be a weekly reflection. Regardless, you can work through it at your own pace as you are able.
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In addition to the 52 reflections, this title also includes as subject and Scripture index as well as a “Greek Word, Phrase, and Idiom Index.”
Devotions on the Greek New Testament (Volume 2)
Regular Price $18.90
Orthodox Study Bible Two-Year Reading Plan
Plans to read through the Bible in one year abound, both in print and electronically. However, many begin these plans without finishing them because the entire Bible, even divided into 365 sections, proves to be too much. Recently, we released an addition of a two-year plan included with (and designed for) the Orthodox Study Bible that divides the Bible into smaller portions and will hopefully result in a greater success rate for completion than similar one-year plans. [This reading plan was recently added free to the Orthodox Study Bible product. Check Easy Install if you already own the Orthodox Study Bible.]
Two years is also a better idea for the Orthodox Study Bible because the Orthodox canon has more Old Testament books than Protestant or even Catholic Bibles. Regardless of your view of canon, if you’ve never read a Bible with an “expanded” Old Testament (sometimes referred to as the Apocrypha or Deuterocanon) or one translated from the Septuagint instead of the Hebrew Bible, you may be interested in this plan.
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The two-year reading plan for the Orthodox Study Bible alternates Old Testament Readings on one day and a selection from Psalms, Proverbs, and the New Testament on other days. Reading the passages alone will take less than 20 minutes on average; however, if you choose to read the accompanying commentary in the Orthodox Study Bible, you may need to set aside a bit more time.
The Orthodox Study Bible comes with its own Bible translation that uses the St. Athanasius Academy Septuagint for the Old Testament and the New King James Version for the New Testament. You will want to make certain that the Scripture hyperlinks in the Orthodox Study Bible reading guide default to this translation, titled “English Orthodox Bible (SAAS + NKJV)” in Accordance. To select this version as the default in Accordance 12, open the reading plan and access the Action menu (that little gear icon, ⚙️, at the top of the reading plan pane); and under the Hypertext section, choose the English Orthodox Bible as your primary hypertext. Make certain to click the Save as Default button when you close the dialog box. In Accordance Mobile for iOS, open the reading plan, and from the text settings icon (AA), click on “All Display Settings,” and select the English Orthodox Bible as your primary hypertext.
The two-year plan for the Orthodox Study Bible is a dated plan that comes in two modules (one for each year). A few weeks ago, the plan was released as a free update to the Orthodox Study Bible for those who had purchased it previously.
Orthodox Study Bible Notes (with Free Two-Year Reading Plan)
Regular Price $34.90