Today our passages are Isaiah 62:6–65:25; Philippians 2:19–3:4a; Psalm 73:1-28; and Proverbs 24:13-14. The readings are from the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Steet, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.
Isaiah 62:6-65:25 (Contemporary English Version)
6Jerusalem, on your walls
I have stationed guards,
whose duty it is
to speak out day and night,
without resting.
They must remind the LORD
7and not let him rest
till he makes Jerusalem strong
and famous everywhere.
8The LORD has given his word
and made this promise:
"Never again will I give
to your enemies
the grain and grapes
for which you struggled.
9As surely as you harvest
your grain and grapes,
you will eat your bread
with thankful hearts,
and you will drink your wine
in my temple."
10People of Jerusalem,
open your gates!
Repair the road to the city
and clear it of stones;
raise a banner to help
the nations find their way.
11Here is what the LORD has said
for all the earth to hear:
"Soon I will come to save
the city of Zion,
and to reward you.
12Then you will be called,
`The LORD's Own People,
The Ones He Rescued!'
Your city will be known
as a good place to live
and a city full of people."
Who is this hero marching
in his glorious uniform?
"It's me, the LORD!
I have won the battle,
and I can save you!"
2What are those red spots?
Your clothes look stained
from stomping on grapes. b] 3"I alone stomped the grapes!
None of the nations helped.
I stomped nations in my anger
and stained my clothes
with their blood.
4I did this because I wanted
to take revenge--
the time had come
to rescue my people.
5No one was there to help me
or to give support;
my mighty arm won the battle,
strengthened by my anger.
6In my fury I stomped on nations
and made them drunk;
their blood poured out
everywhere on earth."
They deserve praise!
The LORD has shown mercy
to the people of Israel;
he has been kind and good.
8The LORD rescued his people,
and said,
"They are mine.
They won't betray me."
9It troubled the LORD
to see them in trouble,
and his angel saved them. c] The LORD was truly merciful,
so he rescued his people.
He took them in his arms
and carried them all those years.
10Then the LORD's people
turned against him
and made
his Holy Spirit sad.
So he became their enemy
and attacked them.
11But his people remembered
what had happened
during the time of Moses. d] Didn't the LORD e] bring them and their leaders
safely through the sea?
Didn't he f] give them his Holy Spirit?
12The glorious power of the LORD
marched beside Moses.
The LORD will be praised forever
for dividing the sea.
13He led his people across
like horses running wild
without stumbling.
14His Spirit gave them rest,
just as cattle find rest
when led into a valley. g] The name of the LORD was praised
for doing these things.
home in the heavens
and see what's going on.
Have you lost interest?
Where is your power?
Show that you care about us h] and have mercy!
16Our ancestors Abraham and Jacob
have both rejected us.
But you are still our Father;
you have been our protector
since ancient times.
17Why did you make us turn away
from you, our LORD?
Why did you make us want
to disobey you?
Please change your mind!
We are your servants,
your very own people.
18For a little while,
your temple belonged to us; i] and now our enemies
have torn it down.
19We act as though you
had never ruled us
or called us your people.
make the mountains tremble.
2Be a spark that starts a fire
causing water to boil. j] Then your enemies will know
who you are;
all nations will tremble
because you are nearby.
3Your fearsome deeds
have completely amazed us;
even the mountains shake
when you come down.
4You are the only God
ever seen or heard of
who works miracles
for his followers.
5You help all who gladly obey
and do what you want,
but sin makes you angry.
Only by your help
can we ever be saved. k] 6We are unfit to worship you;
each of our good deeds
is merely a filthy rag.
We dry up like leaves;
our sins are storm winds
sweeping us away.
7No one worships in your name
or remains faithful.
You have turned your back on us
and let our sins melt us away. l] 8You, LORD, are our Father.
We are nothing but clay,
but you are the potter
who molded us.
9Don't be so furious
or keep our sins
in your thoughts forever!
Remember that all of us
are your people.
10Every one of your towns
has turned into a desert,
especially Jerusalem.
11Zion's glorious and holy temple
where our ancestors praised you
has been destroyed by fire.
Our beautiful buildings
are now a pile of ruins.
12When you see these things,
how can you just sit there
and make us suffer more?
who were not asking
and to be found by those
who were not searching.
To a nation that refused
to worship me, m] I said, "Here I am!"
2All day long I have reached out
to stubborn and sinful people
going their own way.
3They keep making me angry
by sneering at me,
while offering sacrifices
to idols in gardens
and burning incense
to them on bricks.
4They spend their nights
hiding in burial caves;
they eat the meat of pigs, n] cooked in sauces
made of stuff unfit to eat.
5And then they say to others,
"Don't come near us!
We're dedicated to God."
Such people are like smoke,
irritating my nose all day.
6I have written this down;
I won't keep silent.
I'll pay them back
just as their sins deserve.
7I, the LORD, will make them pay
for their sins
and for those
of their ancestors--
they have disgraced me
by burning incense
on mountains.
8Here is what the LORD says:
A cluster of grapes
that produces wine
is worth keeping!
So, because of my servants,
I won't destroy everyone.
9I have chosen the people
of Israel and Judah,
and I will bless them
with many descendants.
They will settle here
in this land of mountains,
and it will be theirs.
10My people will worship me.
Then the coastlands of Sharon
and the land as far
as Achor Valley o] will turn into pastureland
where cattle and sheep
will feed and rest.
11What will I, the LORD, do
if any of you reject me
and my holy mountain?
What will happen to you
for offering food and wine
to the gods you call
"Good Luck" and "Fate"?
12Your luck will end!
I will see to it
that you
are slaughtered with swords.
You refused to answer
when I called out;
you paid no attention
to my instructions.
Instead, you did what I hated,
knowing it was wrong.
13I, the LORD God, will give
food and drink
to my servants,
and they will celebrate.
But all of you sinners
will go hungry and thirsty,
overcome with disgrace.
14My servants will laugh and sing,
but you will be sad
and cry out in pain.
15I, the LORD God, promise
to see that you are killed
and that my chosen servants use
your names
as curse words.
But I will give new names p] to my servants. q] 16I am God! I can be trusted.
Your past troubles are gone;
I no longer think of them.
When you pray for someone
to receive a blessing,
or when you make a promise,
you must do it in my name.
I alone am the God
who can be trusted.
everything of the past
will be forgotten.
18Celebrate and be glad forever!
I am creating a Jerusalem,
full of happy people.
19I will celebrate with Jerusalem
and all of its people;
there will be no more crying
or sorrow in that city.
20No child will die in infancy;
everyone will live
to a ripe old age.
Anyone a hundred years old
will be considered young,
and to die younger than that
will be considered a curse.
21My people will live
in the houses they build;
they will enjoy grapes
from their own vineyards.
22No one will take away
their homes or vineyards.
My chosen people will live
to be as old as trees,
and they will enjoy
what they have earned.
23Their work won't be wasted,
and their children won't die
of dreadful diseases. r] I will bless their children
and their grandchildren.
24I will answer their prayers
before they finish praying.
25Wolves and lambs
will graze together;
lions and oxen
will feed on straw.
Snakes will eat only dirt!
They won't bite
or harm anyone
on my holy mountain.
I, the LORD, have spoken!
28Now I am more eager than ever to send Epaphroditus back again. You will be glad to see him, and I won't have to worry any longer. 29Be sure to give him a cheerful welcome, just as people who serve the Lord deserve. 30He almost died working for Christ, and he risked his own life to do for me what you could not.
2But I almost stumbled and fell,
3because it made me jealous
to see proud and evil people
and to watch them prosper.
4They never have to suffer, b] they stay healthy,
5and they don't have troubles
like everyone else.
6Their pride is like a necklace,
and they commit sin
more often
than they dress themselves.
7Their eyes poke out with fat,
and their minds are flooded
with foolish thoughts.
8They sneer and say cruel things,
and because of their pride,
they make violent threats.
9They dare to speak against God
and to order others around.
10God will bring his people back,
and they will drink the water
he so freely gives. c] 11Only evil people would say,
"God Most High cannot
know everything!"
12Yet all goes well for them,
and they live in peace.
13What good did it do me
to keep my thoughts pure
and refuse to do wrong?
14I am sick all day,
and I am punished
each morning.
15If I had said evil things,
I would not have been loyal
to your people.
16It was hard for me
to understand all this!
17Then I went to your temple,
and there I understood
what will happen
to my enemies.
18You will make them stumble,
never to get up again.
19They will be terrified,
suddenly swept away
and no longer there.
20They will disappear, Lord,
despised like a bad dream
the morning after.
21Once I was bitter
and brokenhearted.
22I was stupid and ignorant,
and I treated you
as a wild animal would.
23But I never really left you,
and you hold my right hand.
24Your advice has been my guide,
and later you will welcome me
in glory. d] 25In heaven I have only you,
and on this earth
you are all I want.
26My body and mind may fail,
but you are my strength
and my choice forever.
27Powerful LORD God,
all who stay far from you
will be lost,
and you will destroy those
who are unfaithful.
28It is good for me
to be near you.
I choose you as my protector,
and I will tell about
your wonderful deeds.
and it tastes sweet.
14Wisdom is like honey
for your life--
if you find it,
your future is bright.
Verse of the Day
“God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.” - Matthew 5:11-12
Thought for the Day
I have stationed guards,
whose duty it is
to speak out day and night,
without resting.
They must remind the LORD
7and not let him rest
till he makes Jerusalem strong
and famous everywhere.
8The LORD has given his word
and made this promise:
"Never again will I give
to your enemies
the grain and grapes
for which you struggled.
9As surely as you harvest
your grain and grapes,
you will eat your bread
with thankful hearts,
and you will drink your wine
in my temple."
10People of Jerusalem,
open your gates!
Repair the road to the city
and clear it of stones;
raise a banner to help
the nations find their way.
11Here is what the LORD has said
for all the earth to hear:
"Soon I will come to save
the city of Zion,
and to reward you.
12Then you will be called,
`The LORD's Own People,
The Ones He Rescued!'
Your city will be known
as a good place to live
and a city full of people."
Isaiah 63
The LORD's Victory over the Nations
1Who is this coming from Bozrah a] in Edom with clothes stained red?Who is this hero marching
in his glorious uniform?
"It's me, the LORD!
I have won the battle,
and I can save you!"
2What are those red spots?
Your clothes look stained
from stomping on grapes. b] 3"I alone stomped the grapes!
None of the nations helped.
I stomped nations in my anger
and stained my clothes
with their blood.
4I did this because I wanted
to take revenge--
the time had come
to rescue my people.
5No one was there to help me
or to give support;
my mighty arm won the battle,
strengthened by my anger.
6In my fury I stomped on nations
and made them drunk;
their blood poured out
everywhere on earth."
The LORD's Goodness to His People
7I will tell about the kind deeds the LORD has done.They deserve praise!
The LORD has shown mercy
to the people of Israel;
he has been kind and good.
8The LORD rescued his people,
and said,
"They are mine.
They won't betray me."
9It troubled the LORD
to see them in trouble,
and his angel saved them. c] The LORD was truly merciful,
so he rescued his people.
He took them in his arms
and carried them all those years.
10Then the LORD's people
turned against him
and made
his Holy Spirit sad.
So he became their enemy
and attacked them.
11But his people remembered
what had happened
during the time of Moses. d] Didn't the LORD e] bring them and their leaders
safely through the sea?
Didn't he f] give them his Holy Spirit?
12The glorious power of the LORD
marched beside Moses.
The LORD will be praised forever
for dividing the sea.
13He led his people across
like horses running wild
without stumbling.
14His Spirit gave them rest,
just as cattle find rest
when led into a valley. g] The name of the LORD was praised
for doing these things.
A Prayer for Mercy and Help
15Please, LORD, look down from your holy and glorioushome in the heavens
and see what's going on.
Have you lost interest?
Where is your power?
Show that you care about us h] and have mercy!
16Our ancestors Abraham and Jacob
have both rejected us.
But you are still our Father;
you have been our protector
since ancient times.
17Why did you make us turn away
from you, our LORD?
Why did you make us want
to disobey you?
Please change your mind!
We are your servants,
your very own people.
18For a little while,
your temple belonged to us; i] and now our enemies
have torn it down.
19We act as though you
had never ruled us
or called us your people.
Isaiah 64
1Rip the heavens apart! Come down, LORD;make the mountains tremble.
2Be a spark that starts a fire
causing water to boil. j] Then your enemies will know
who you are;
all nations will tremble
because you are nearby.
3Your fearsome deeds
have completely amazed us;
even the mountains shake
when you come down.
4You are the only God
ever seen or heard of
who works miracles
for his followers.
5You help all who gladly obey
and do what you want,
but sin makes you angry.
Only by your help
can we ever be saved. k] 6We are unfit to worship you;
each of our good deeds
is merely a filthy rag.
We dry up like leaves;
our sins are storm winds
sweeping us away.
7No one worships in your name
or remains faithful.
You have turned your back on us
and let our sins melt us away. l] 8You, LORD, are our Father.
We are nothing but clay,
but you are the potter
who molded us.
9Don't be so furious
or keep our sins
in your thoughts forever!
Remember that all of us
are your people.
10Every one of your towns
has turned into a desert,
especially Jerusalem.
11Zion's glorious and holy temple
where our ancestors praised you
has been destroyed by fire.
Our beautiful buildings
are now a pile of ruins.
12When you see these things,
how can you just sit there
and make us suffer more?
Isaiah 65
The LORD Will Punish the Guilty
1I, the LORD, was ready answer even thosewho were not asking
and to be found by those
who were not searching.
To a nation that refused
to worship me, m] I said, "Here I am!"
2All day long I have reached out
to stubborn and sinful people
going their own way.
3They keep making me angry
by sneering at me,
while offering sacrifices
to idols in gardens
and burning incense
to them on bricks.
4They spend their nights
hiding in burial caves;
they eat the meat of pigs, n] cooked in sauces
made of stuff unfit to eat.
5And then they say to others,
"Don't come near us!
We're dedicated to God."
Such people are like smoke,
irritating my nose all day.
6I have written this down;
I won't keep silent.
I'll pay them back
just as their sins deserve.
7I, the LORD, will make them pay
for their sins
and for those
of their ancestors--
they have disgraced me
by burning incense
on mountains.
8Here is what the LORD says:
A cluster of grapes
that produces wine
is worth keeping!
So, because of my servants,
I won't destroy everyone.
9I have chosen the people
of Israel and Judah,
and I will bless them
with many descendants.
They will settle here
in this land of mountains,
and it will be theirs.
10My people will worship me.
Then the coastlands of Sharon
and the land as far
as Achor Valley o] will turn into pastureland
where cattle and sheep
will feed and rest.
11What will I, the LORD, do
if any of you reject me
and my holy mountain?
What will happen to you
for offering food and wine
to the gods you call
"Good Luck" and "Fate"?
12Your luck will end!
I will see to it
that you
are slaughtered with swords.
You refused to answer
when I called out;
you paid no attention
to my instructions.
Instead, you did what I hated,
knowing it was wrong.
13I, the LORD God, will give
food and drink
to my servants,
and they will celebrate.
But all of you sinners
will go hungry and thirsty,
overcome with disgrace.
14My servants will laugh and sing,
but you will be sad
and cry out in pain.
15I, the LORD God, promise
to see that you are killed
and that my chosen servants use
your names
as curse words.
But I will give new names p] to my servants. q] 16I am God! I can be trusted.
Your past troubles are gone;
I no longer think of them.
When you pray for someone
to receive a blessing,
or when you make a promise,
you must do it in my name.
I alone am the God
who can be trusted.
The LORD's New Creation
17I am creating new heavens and a new earth;everything of the past
will be forgotten.
18Celebrate and be glad forever!
I am creating a Jerusalem,
full of happy people.
19I will celebrate with Jerusalem
and all of its people;
there will be no more crying
or sorrow in that city.
20No child will die in infancy;
everyone will live
to a ripe old age.
Anyone a hundred years old
will be considered young,
and to die younger than that
will be considered a curse.
21My people will live
in the houses they build;
they will enjoy grapes
from their own vineyards.
22No one will take away
their homes or vineyards.
My chosen people will live
to be as old as trees,
and they will enjoy
what they have earned.
23Their work won't be wasted,
and their children won't die
of dreadful diseases. r] I will bless their children
and their grandchildren.
24I will answer their prayers
before they finish praying.
25Wolves and lambs
will graze together;
lions and oxen
will feed on straw.
Snakes will eat only dirt!
They won't bite
or harm anyone
on my holy mountain.
I, the LORD, have spoken!
Footnotes:
- Isaiah 63:1 Bozrah: The main city of Edom.
- Isaiah 63:2 stomping on grapes: This is one way that grapes were crushed to make them into juice.
- Isaiah 63:9 It. . . them: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Isaiah 63:11 But. . . Moses: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Isaiah 63:11 the LORD: Or "Moses."
- Isaiah 63:11 he: Or "Moses."
- Isaiah 63:14 His. . . valley: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Isaiah 63:15 us: Hebrew "me."
- Isaiah 63:18 For. . . us: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Isaiah 64:2 Be. . . boil: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Isaiah 64:5 saved: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 5.
- Isaiah 64:7 and let. . . away: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Isaiah 65:1 refused. . . me: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Isaiah 65:4 burial. . . pigs: Coming in contact with the dead or eating the meat of pigs made a person unacceptable to God.
- Isaiah 65:10 coastlands of Sharon. . . Achor Valley: Sharon is the coastal plain on the west, and Achor Valley is in the east near Jericho. These two places stand for the whole country.
- Isaiah 65:15 new names: The giving of a new name suggests the beginning of a new life.
- Isaiah 65:15 But I. . . servants: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Isaiah 65:23 their children. . . diseases: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Philippians 2:19-3:4 (Contemporary English Version)
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19I want to be encouraged by news about you. So I hope the Lord Jesus will soon let me send Timothy to you. 20I don't have anyone else who cares about you as much as he does. 21The others think only about what interests them and not about what concerns Christ Jesus. 22But you know what kind of person Timothy is. He has worked with me like a son in spreading the good news. 23I hope to send him to you, as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me. 24And I feel sure that the Lord will also let me come soon. 25I think I ought to send my dear friend Epaphroditus back to you. He is a follower and a worker and a soldier of the Lord, just as I am. You sent him to look after me, 26but now he is eager to see you. He is worried, because you heard he was sick. 27In fact, he was very sick and almost died. But God was kind to him, and also to me, and he kept me from being burdened down with sorrow.28Now I am more eager than ever to send Epaphroditus back again. You will be glad to see him, and I won't have to worry any longer. 29Be sure to give him a cheerful welcome, just as people who serve the Lord deserve. 30He almost died working for Christ, and he risked his own life to do for me what you could not.
Philippians 3
Being Acceptable to God
1Finally, my dear friends, be glad that you belong to the Lord. It doesn't bother me to write the same things to you that I have written before. In fact, it is for your own good. 2Watch out for those people who behave like dogs! They are evil and want to do more than just circumcise you. 3But we are the ones who are truly circumcised, because we worship by the power of God's Spirit a] and take pride in Christ Jesus. We don't brag about what we have done, 4although I could. Others may brag about themselves, but I have more reason to brag than anyone else.
Footnotes:
- Philippians 3:3 by the power of God's Spirit: Some manuscripts have "sincerely."
Psalm 73:1-28 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 73
BOOK III
(Psalms 73-89)
(A psalm by Asaph.)
God Is Good
1God is truly good to Israel, a] especially to everyone with a pure heart.2But I almost stumbled and fell,
3because it made me jealous
to see proud and evil people
and to watch them prosper.
4They never have to suffer, b] they stay healthy,
5and they don't have troubles
like everyone else.
6Their pride is like a necklace,
and they commit sin
more often
than they dress themselves.
7Their eyes poke out with fat,
and their minds are flooded
with foolish thoughts.
8They sneer and say cruel things,
and because of their pride,
they make violent threats.
9They dare to speak against God
and to order others around.
10God will bring his people back,
and they will drink the water
he so freely gives. c] 11Only evil people would say,
"God Most High cannot
know everything!"
12Yet all goes well for them,
and they live in peace.
13What good did it do me
to keep my thoughts pure
and refuse to do wrong?
14I am sick all day,
and I am punished
each morning.
15If I had said evil things,
I would not have been loyal
to your people.
16It was hard for me
to understand all this!
17Then I went to your temple,
and there I understood
what will happen
to my enemies.
18You will make them stumble,
never to get up again.
19They will be terrified,
suddenly swept away
and no longer there.
20They will disappear, Lord,
despised like a bad dream
the morning after.
21Once I was bitter
and brokenhearted.
22I was stupid and ignorant,
and I treated you
as a wild animal would.
23But I never really left you,
and you hold my right hand.
24Your advice has been my guide,
and later you will welcome me
in glory. d] 25In heaven I have only you,
and on this earth
you are all I want.
26My body and mind may fail,
but you are my strength
and my choice forever.
27Powerful LORD God,
all who stay far from you
will be lost,
and you will destroy those
who are unfaithful.
28It is good for me
to be near you.
I choose you as my protector,
and I will tell about
your wonderful deeds.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 73:1 to Israel: Or " to those who do right."
- Psalm 73:4 They. . . suffer: Or " They die a painless death."
- Psalm 73:10 gives: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
- Psalm 73:24 in glory: Or " with honor."
Proverbs 24:13-14 (Contemporary English Version)
-26-
13 Honey is good for you, my children,and it tastes sweet.
14Wisdom is like honey
for your life--
if you find it,
your future is bright.
Verse of the Day
“God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.” - Matthew 5:11-12
Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.
Thought for the Day
English Christian theologian and mathematician who is generally given credit for his early role in the development of infinitesimal calculus; in particular, for the discovery of the fundamental theorem of calculus, Isaac Barrow wrote, “Virtue is not a mushroom, that springeth up of itself in one night when we are asleep, or regard it not; but a delicate plant, that groweth slowly and tenderly, needing much pains to cultivate it, much care to guard it, much time to mature it, in our untoward soil, in this world's unkindly weather.”
A Joke for Today
After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, “Mom, I’ve decided to become a pastor when I grow up.”
“That’s OK with us,” she said, “but what made you decide that?”
“Well,” said the little boy, “I have to go to church on Sunday anyway, and I figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell than to sit down and listen.”
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