TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006
| Date | Hymns | Reading | Comments |
| October 1 | TLH 38 / LSB 794 | 1 Samuel 22 | Four hundred men support David. The prophet of Gad instructs David to go to Judah. Saul has eighty-five priests killed as punishment for assisting David. |
| October 2 | LSB 803 | 1 Samuel 23 | David and his men defeat the Philistines in order to protect the city of Keilah. Saul plans to capture David at Keilah, but David and his six hundred men escape. Saul continues pursuing David. |
| October 3 | TLH 644 / LSB 805 | 1 Samuel 24 | David has an opportunity to kill Saul, but spares his life. Saul expresses remorse for having attempted to kill David. |
| October 4 | LSB 861 | 1 Samuel 25 | Samuel dies. When Nabal refuses to help David and his men, David plans to attack the household of Nabal. However, Abigail, the wife of Nabal, intervenes, convincing David not to attack. The Lord kills Nabal. David takes Abigail as a wife. David takes Ahinoam of Jezreel as a wife. |
| October 5 | TLH 132 / LSB 810 | 1 Samuel 26 | Saul pursues David again. David has another opportunity to kill Saul, but spares his life. Saul repents again. |
| October 7 | TLH 361 / LSB 554 | 1 Samuel 27 | David flees to Gath to live among the Philistines, where he will be safe from Saul. David and his men spend their time attacking and exterminating foreign invaders among their fellow Judeans, thereby establishing a favorable reputation for David in order to prepare for his rule as king. David deceives the king of Gath into thinking that David is attacking Judeans, leading the king to assume that David will remain under his control. |
| October 8 | TLH 536 / LSB 868 | 1 Samuel 28 | As the Philistines prepare to attack Israel, Saul visits a medium. The medium consults the spirit of Samuel. The spirit predicts that the Philistines will defeat Israel and that Saul and his sons will be killed. |
| October 9 | TLH 539 / LSB 872 | 1 Samuel 29 | Since the Philistine commanders do not trust David, they force the king of Gath to send David and his men away. |
| October 10 | TLH 540 / LSB 869 | 1 Samuel 30 | Raiding Amalekites capture the women and children of David and his men. David and his men defeat the Amalekites and recover their wives, children, and property. |
| October 11 | TLH 534 | 1 Samuel 31 | The Philistines defeat Israel. Saul and his sons are killed in the battle. |
| October 12 | LSB 406 | Matthew 3 | John the Baptist preaches repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. John baptizes Jesus “to fulfill all righteousness.” |
| October 14 | LSB 424 | Matthew 4 | The devil tempts Jesus in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. Jesus resists every temptation, defending Himself with the Word of God. Jesus begins His ministry in Galilee. Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be His disciples. Jesus heals the sick and demon-possessed, and great crowds follow Him. |
| October 15 | TLH 430 / LSB 730 | Ecclesiastes 1 | Solomon contemplates the meaninglessness of life in this world without the Lord. From a worldly perspective, even wisdom is meaningless in the end. |
| October 16 | LSB 877 | Ecclesiastes 2 | Self-indulgent pleasure is meaningless. Even wise living is meaningless in the end, since both the wise man and the fool face the same fate: death. Work also is meaningless, since “you can’t take it with you.” |
| October 17 | LSB 762 | Ecclesiastes 3 | Human efforts are furthermore meaningless since the proper times for various occurrences and actions are determined by the Lord apart from the will or decision of man. Injustice and wickedness seem to thrive in this world and man, like the animals, dies. |
| October 18 | TLH 622 | Ecclesiastes 4 | Injustice and oppression are realities in this world. The pursuit of worldly wealth is meaningless. Companionship is a blessing from the Lord. The success of a good and wise ruler soon is forgotten. |
| October 19 | TLH 175 / LSB 425 | Ecclesiastes 5 | Solomon teaches humility and faithfulness before the Lord. The love of money is meaningless. To eat and to drink and to find enjoyment in one’s work are blessings from the Lord. |
| October 21 | TLH 92 / LSB 386 | Ecclesiastes 6 | The earthly blessings of the Lord do not benefit the man who finds no enjoyment in them. The earthly life of a man is short and meaningless. |
| October 22 | TLH 366 / LSB 536 | Ecclesiastes 7 | Solomon contrasts wisdom with folly. Despite the meaninglessness of life in this world, the wise man trusts that the Lord will work all things for good. |
| October 23 | TLH 469 / LSB 648 | Ecclesiastes 8 | The wise man obeys earthly authority. The wise man fears the Lord. While we cannot make sense of everything that happens in this world, we trust that the will of the Lord prevails. |
| October 24 | TLH 552 / LSB 878 | Ecclesiastes 9 | All people face impending death. Solomon advises us to eat, to drink, and to work, enjoying life on earth while we have it. Wisdom is greater than might. Wisdom is greater than folly. |
| October 25 | TLH 514 / LSB 765 | Ecclesiastes 10 | Solomon teaches the way of wisdom in an unpredictable world. |
| October 26 | TLH 192 / LSB 467 | Ecclesiastes 11 | Solomon continues teaching the way of wisdom in an unpredictable world. |
| October 28 | TLH 206 / LSB 741 | Ecclesiastes 12 | Solomon describes the physical deterioration that we experience as we age, encouraging us to know the Lord while we are young. “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” |
| October 29 | TLH 457 / LSB 770 | Matthew 7 | Jesus speaks against hypocritical judging, exhorts us to pray to the Father for all good things, teaches the golden rule, warns His followers to beware of false prophets, and encourages each of us to build his house on the rock of His Word. The crowds are astonished at the authority with which Jesus teaches. |
| October 30 | TLH 415 / LSB 510 | Matthew 8 | Jesus heals a leper, the servant of a centurion, the mother-in-law of Peter, and many others. Two men learn that following Jesus comes with an earthly cost. Jesus calms a storm on the sea. Jesus drives demons out of two men and into a herd of pigs. |
| October 31 | TLH 262 / LSB 656 | Psalm 46 | The basis of Luther’s famous hymn, “A Mighty Fortress,” Psalm 46 paints a picture of security in the midst of conflict and tumult. Whatever battles or hardships or threats or dangers we may face, our mighty Lord is with us to protect us in this life and in eternity. |