Bible Readings for March 14, 2017

Today our passages are Numbers 21:1–22:20; Luke 1:26-56; Psalm 57:1-11; and Proverbs 11:9-11. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

 

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Numbers 21-22:20 (Contemporary English Version)

Numbers 21

Israel Defeats the Canaanites at Hormah

 ¹The Canaanite king of Arad lived in the Southern Desert of Canaan, and when he heard that the Israelites were on their way to the village of Atharim, he attacked and took some of them hostage.     ²The Israelites prayed, " Our LORD, if you will help us defeat these Canaanites, we will completely destroy their towns and everything in them, to show that they belong to you." ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 3}The LORD answered their prayer and helped them wipe out the Canaanite army and completely destroy their towns. That's why one of the towns is named Hormah, which means " Destroyed Place."
   

Moses Makes a Bronze Snake

 ⁴The Israelites had to go around the territory of Edom, so when they left Mount Hor, they headed south toward the Red Sea. ^[b<="">] But along the way, the people became so impatient ⁵that they complained against God and said to Moses, " Did you bring us out of Egypt, just to let us die in the desert? There's no water out here, and we can't stand this awful food!" ⁶Then the LORD sent poisonous snakes that bit and killed many of them.     ⁷Some of the people went to Moses and admitted, " It was wrong of us to insult you and the LORD. Now please ask him to make these snakes go away."
   Moses prayed, ⁸and the LORD answered, " Make a snake out of bronze and place it on top of a pole. Anyone who gets bitten can look at the snake and won't die."
    ⁹Moses obeyed the LORD. And all of those who looked at the bronze snake lived, even though they had been bitten by the poisonous snakes.
   

Israel's Journey to Moab

 ¹⁰As the Israelites continued their journey to Canaan, they camped at Oboth, ¹¹then at Iye-Abarim in the desert east of Moab, ¹²and then in the Zered Gorge. ¹³After that, they crossed the Arnon River gorge and camped in the Moabite desert bordering Amorite territory. The Arnon was the border between the Moabites and the Amorites. ¹⁴A song in The Book of the LORD's Battles ^[c<="">] mentions the town of Waheb with its creeks in the territory of Suphah. It also mentions the Arnon River, ¹⁵with its valleys that lie alongside the Moabite border and extend to the town of Ar. ¹⁶From the Arnon, the Israelites went to the well near the town of Beer, where the LORD had said to Moses, " Call the people together, and I will give them water to drink."     ¹⁷That's also the same well the Israelites sang about in this song:
   Let's celebrate!
   The well has given us water.
    ¹⁸With their royal scepters,
   our leaders pointed out
   where to dig the well.
   The Israelites left the desert and camped near the town of Mattanah, ¹⁹then at Nahaliel, and then at Bamoth. ²⁰Finally, they reached Moabite territory, where they camped near Mount Pisgah ^[d<="">] in a valley overlooking the desert north of the Dead Sea.

Israel Defeats King Sihon the Amorite

(Deuteronomy 2.26-37)

 ²¹The Israelites sent this message to King Sihon of the Amorites:     ²²Please let us pass through your territory. We promise to stay away from your fields and vineyards, and we won't drink any water from your wells. As long as we're in your land, we won't get off the main road. ^{[e<="">] 23}But Sihon refused to let Israel travel through his land. Instead, he called together his entire army and marched into the desert to attack Israel near the town of Jahaz. ²⁴Israel defeated them and took over the Amorite territory from the Arnon River gorge in the south to the Jabbok River gorge in the north. Beyond the Jabbok was the territory of the Ammonites, who were much stronger than Israel.
    ²⁵The Israelites settled in the Amorite towns, including the capital city of Heshbon with its surrounding villages. ²⁶King Sihon had ruled from Heshbon, after defeating the Moabites and taking over their land north of the Arnon River gorge. ²⁷That's why the Amorites had written this poem about Heshbon:
   Come and rebuild Heshbon,
   King Sihon's capital city!
    ²⁸His armies marched out
   like fiery flames,
   burning down the town of Ar
   and destroying ^[f<="">] the hills along the Arnon River.
    ²⁹You Moabites are done for!
   Your god Chemosh
   deserted your people;
   they were captured, taken away
   by King Sihon the Amorite.
    ³⁰We completely defeated Moab.
   The towns of Heshbon and Dibon,
   of Nophah and Medeba
   are ruined and gone. ^{[g<="">] 31}After the Israelites had settled in the Amorite territory, ³²Moses sent some men to explore the town of Jazer. Later, the Israelites captured the villages surrounding it and forced out the Amorites who lived there.
   

Israel Defeats King Og of Bashan

(Deuteronomy 3.1-11)

 ³³The Israelites headed toward the region of Bashan, where King Og ruled, and he led his entire army to Edrei to meet Israel in battle.     ³⁴The LORD said to Moses, " Don't be afraid of Og. I will help you defeat him and his army, just as you did King Sihon who ruled in Heshbon. Og's territory will be yours."
    ³⁵So the Israelites wiped out Og, his family, and his entire army--there were no survivors. Then Israel took over the land of Bashan.
   

Numbers 22

 ¹Israel moved from there to the hills of Moab, where they camped across the Jordan River from the town of Jericho.    

King Balak of Moab Hires Balaam To Curse Israel

 ^2-3When King Balak ^[h<="">] of Moab and his people heard how many Israelites there were and what they had done to the Amorites, he and the Moabites were terrified and panicked. ⁴They said to the Midianite leaders, " That bunch of Israelites will wipe out everything in sight, like a bull eating grass in a field." So King Balak ⁵sent a message to Balaam son of Beor who lived among his relatives in the town of Pethor near the Euphrates River. It said:    I need your help. A huge group of people has come here from Egypt and settled near my territory. ⁶They are too powerful for us to defeat, so would you come and place a curse on them? Maybe then we can run them off. I know that anyone you bless will be successful, but anyone you curse will fail.
    ⁷The leaders of Moab and Midian left and took along money to pay Balaam for his work. When they got to his house, they gave him Balak's message.
    ⁸" Spend the night here," Balaam replied, " and tomorrow I will tell you the LORD's answer." So the officials stayed at his house.
    ⁹During the night, God asked Balaam, " Who are these people at your house?"
    ¹⁰" They are messengers from King Balak of Moab," Balaam answered. " He sent them ¹¹to ask me to go to Moab and place a curse on the people who have come there from Egypt. They have settled everywhere around him, and he wants to run them off."
    ¹²But God replied, " Don't go with Balak's messengers. I have blessed those people who have come from Egypt, so don't curse them."
    ¹³The next morning, Balaam said to Balak's officials, " Go on back home. The LORD says I cannot go with you."
    ¹⁴The officials left and told Balak that Balaam refused to come.
    ¹⁵Then Balak sent a larger group of officials, who were even more important than the first ones. ¹⁶They went to Balaam and told him that Balak had said, " Balaam, if you come to Moab, ¹⁷I'll pay you very well and do whatever you ask. Just come and place a curse on these people."
    ¹⁸Balaam answered, " Even if Balak offered me a palace full of silver or gold, I wouldn't do anything to disobey the LORD my God. ¹⁹You are welcome to spend the night here, just as the others did. I will find out if the LORD has something else to say about this."
    ²⁰That night, God said, " Balaam, I'll let you go to Moab with Balak's messengers, but do only what I say."
   

Footnotes:

1. Numbers 21:2 completely destroy. . . belong to you: The complete destruction of a town and everything in it, including its people and animals, showed that the town belonged to the LORD and could no longer be used by humans.
2. Numbers 21:4 Red Sea: See the note at 14.25.
3. Numbers 21:14 The Book of the LORD's Battles: This may have been a collection of ancient war songs.
4. Numbers 21:20 Mount Pisgah: This probably refers to the highest peak in the Abarim Mountains in Moab.
5. Numbers 21:22 the main road: See the note at 20.17.
6. Numbers 21:28 destroying: One ancient translation; Hebrew " the rulers of."
7. Numbers 21:30 gone: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 30.
8. Numbers 22:2 Balak: Hebrew " Balak son of Zippor."

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Luke 1:26-56 (Contemporary English Version)

An Angel Tells about the Birth of Jesus

 ²⁶One month later God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee ²⁷with a message for a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to Joseph from the family of King David. ²⁸The angel greeted Mary and said, "You are truly blessed! The Lord is with you."     ²⁹Mary was confused by the angel's words and wondered what they meant. ³⁰Then the angel told Mary, "Don't be afraid! God is pleased with you, ³¹and you will have a son. His name will be Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will make him king, as his ancestor David was. ³³He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end."
    ³⁴Mary asked the angel, "How can this happen? I am not married!"
    ³⁵The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come down to you, and God's power will come over you. So your child will be called the holy Son of God. ³⁶Your relative Elizabeth is also going to have a son, even though she is old. No one thought she could ever have a baby, but in three months she will have a son. ³⁷Nothing is impossible for God!"
    ³⁸Mary said, "I am the Lord's servant! Let it happen as you have said." And the angel left her.
   

Mary Visits Elizabeth

 ³⁹A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. ⁴⁰She went into Zechariah's home, where she greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, her baby moved within her.    The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. ⁴²Then in a loud voice she said to Mary:
   God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. ⁴³Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? ⁴⁴As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me. ⁴⁵The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.
   

Mary's Song of Praise

 ⁴⁶Mary said:    With all my heart
   I praise the Lord,
    ⁴⁷and I am glad
   because of God my Savior.
    ⁴⁸He cares for me,
   his humble servant.
   From now on,
   all people will say
   God has blessed me.
    ⁴⁹God All-Powerful has done
   great things for me,
   and his name is holy.
    ⁵⁰He always shows mercy
   to everyone
   who worships him.
    ⁵¹The Lord has used
   his powerful arm
   to scatter those
   who are proud.
    ⁵²He drags strong rulers
   from their thrones
   and puts humble people
   in places of power.
    ⁵³God gives the hungry
   good things to eat,
   and sends the rich away
   with nothing.
    ⁵⁴He helps his servant Israel
   and is always merciful
   to his people.
    ⁵⁵The Lord made this promise
   to our ancestors,
   to Abraham and his family
   forever!
    ⁵⁶Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then she went back home.

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Psalm 57:1-11 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 57

(For the music leader. To the tune "Don't Destroy." (Psalm 57; 58 Don't Destroy: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.) A special psalm by David when he was in the cave while running from Saul.)

Praise and Trust in Times of Trouble

 ¹God Most High, have pity on me!    Have mercy.
   I run to you
   for safety.
   In the shadow of your wings,
   I seek protection
   till danger dies down.
    ²I pray to you, my protector.
    ³You will send help from heaven
   and save me,
   but you will bring trouble
   on my attackers.
   You are faithful,
   and you can be trusted.
    ⁴I live among lions,
   who gobble down people!
   They have spears and arrows
   instead of teeth,
   and they have sharp swords
   instead of tongues.
    ⁵May you, my God, be honored
   above the heavens;
   may your glory be seen
   everywhere on earth.
    ⁶Enemies set traps for my feet
   and struck me down.
   They dug a pit in my path,
   but fell in it themselves.
    ⁷I am faithful to you,
   and you can trust me.
   I will sing and play music
   for you, my God.
    ⁸I feel wide awake!
   I will wake up my harp
   and wake up the sun.
    ⁹I will praise you, Lord,
   for everyone to hear,
   and I will sing hymns to you
   in every nation.
    ¹⁰Your love reaches higher
   than the heavens;
   your loyalty extends
   beyond the clouds.
    ¹¹May you, my God, be honored
   above the heavens;
   may your glory be seen
   everywhere on earth.

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Proverbs 11:9-11 (Contemporary English Version)

⁹Dishonest people use gossip

   to destroy their neighbors;

   good people are protected

   by their own good sense.

    ¹⁰When honest people prosper

   and the wicked disappear,

   the whole city celebrates.

    ¹¹When God blesses his people,

   their city prospers,

   but deceitful liars

   can destroy a city.

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Verse of the Day 

“Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others, and love. If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful.” - 2 Peter 1:5-8

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

German-born theoretical physicist. He developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics (alongside quantum mechanics), Albert Einstein wrote, “If we want to improve the world we cannot do it with scientific knowledge but with ideals. Confucius, Buddha, Jesus and Gandhi have done more for humanity than science has done. We must begin with the heart of man — with his conscience — and the values of conscience can only be manifested by selfless service to mankind.”

Bible Readings for March 3, 2017

Today our passages are Leviticus 27:14–Numbers 1:54; Mark 11:1-25; Psalm 46:1-11; and Proverbs 10:23. The readings are the Contemporary English Version. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal by using the link below.

 

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Leviticus 27:14 - Numbers 1:54 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴If you promise a house to me, a priest will set the price, whatever the condition of the house. ¹⁵But if you decide to buy it back, you must pay an additional twenty percent.
    ¹⁶If you promise part of your family's land to me, its value must be determined by the bushels of seed needed to plant the land, and the rate will be ten pieces of silver for every bushel of seed. ¹⁷If this promise is made in the Year of Celebration, ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} the land will be valued at the full price. ¹⁸But any time after that, the price will be figured according to the number of years before the next Year of Celebration. ¹⁹If you decide to buy back the land, you must pay the price plus an additional twenty percent, ²⁰but you cannot buy it back once someone else has bought it. ²¹When the Year of Celebration comes, the land becomes holy because it belongs to me, and it will be given to the priests. ²²If you promise me a field that you have bought, ²³its value will be decided by a priest, according to the number of years before the next Year of Celebration, and the money you pay will be mine. ²⁴However, on the next Year of Celebration, the land will go back to the family of its original owner. ²⁵Every price will be set by the official standards.
   

Various Offerings

The LORD said:

 ²⁶All first-born animals of your flocks and herds are already mine, and so you cannot promise any of them to me. ²⁷If you promise me a donkey, ^[b<="">] you may buy it back by adding an additional twenty percent to its value. If you don't buy it back, it can be sold to someone else for whatever a priest has said it is worth. ²⁸Anything that you completely dedicate to me must be completely destroyed. ^[c<="">] It cannot be bought back or sold. Every person, animal, and piece of property that you dedicate completely is only for me. ²⁹In fact, any humans who have been promised to me in this way must be put to death. ³⁰Ten percent of everything you harvest is holy and belongs to me, whether it grows in your fields or on your fruit trees. ³¹If you want to buy back this part of your harvest, you may do so by paying what it is worth plus an additional twenty percent.     ³²When you count your flocks and herds, one out of ten of every newborn animal ^[d<="">] is holy and belongs to me, ³³no matter how good or bad it is. If you substitute one animal for another, both of them become holy, and neither can be bought back. ³⁴Moses was on Mount Sinai when the LORD gave him these laws for the people of Israel.
   

Numbers 1

The People of Israel Are Counted

 ¹The people of Israel had left Egypt and were living in the Sinai Desert. Then on the first day of the second month ^[e<="">] of the second year, Moses was in the sacred tent when the LORD said: ^2-3I want you and Aaron to find out how many people are in each of Israel's clans and families. And make a list of all the men twenty years and older who are able to fight in battle. ^4-15The following twelve family leaders, one from each tribe, will help you:    Elizur son of Shedeur
   from Reuben,
   Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai
   from Simeon,
   Nahshon son of Amminadab
   from Judah,
   Nethanel son of Zuar
   from Issachar,
   Eliab son of Helon
   from Zebulun,
   Elishama son of Ammihud
   from Ephraim,
   Gamaliel son of Pedahzur
   from Manasseh,
   Abidan son of Gideoni
   from Benjamin,
   Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai
   from Dan,
   Pagiel son of Ochran
   from Asher,
   Eliasaph son of Deuel
   from Gad,
   and Ahira son of Enan
   from Naphtali.
    ^16-17Moses and Aaron, together with these twelve tribal leaders, ¹⁸called together the people that same day. They were counted according to their clans and families. Then Moses and the others listed the names of the men twenty years and older, ¹⁹just as the LORD had commanded. ^20-46The number of men from each tribe who were at least twenty years old and strong enough to fight in Israel's army was as follows:
   46,500 from Reuben,
   the oldest son of Jacob, ^[f<="">] 59,300 from Simeon,
   45,650 from Gad,
   74,600 from Judah,
   54,400 from Issachar,
   57,400 from Zebulun,
   40,500 from Ephraim,
   32,200 from Manasseh,
   35,400 from Benjamin,
   62,700 from Dan,
   41,500 from Asher,
   53,400 from Naphtali.
   The total number of men registered by Moses, Aaron, and the twelve leaders was 603,550.
    ⁴⁷But those from the Levi tribe were not included ⁴⁸because the LORD had said to Moses:
    ⁴⁹When you count the Israelites, do not include those from the Levi tribe. ^50-51Instead, give them the job of caring for the sacred tent, its furnishings, and the objects used for worship. They will camp around the tent, and whenever you move, they will take it down, carry it to the new camp, and set it up again. Anyone else who tries to go near it must be put to death.
    ⁵²The rest of the Israelites will camp in their own groups and under their own banners. ⁵³But the Levites will camp around the sacred tent to make sure that no one goes near it and makes me furious with the Israelites.
    ⁵⁴The people of Israel did everything the LORD had commanded.
   

Footnotes:

1. Leviticus 27:17 Year of Celebration: See 25.8-34.
2. Leviticus 27:27 donkey: See the note at verse 11.
3. Leviticus 27:28 completely dedicate. . . completely destroyed: In order to show that something belonged completely to the LORD and could not be used by anyone else, it was destroyed. This law most often applied to towns and people captured in war (see Joshua 6.16,17).
4. Leviticus 27:32 one out of ten of every newborn animal: Or " one out of every ten animals."
5. Numbers 1:1 second month: Ziv, the second month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-April to mid-May.
6. Numbers 1:20 Jacob: The Hebrew text has " Israel," Jacob's name after God renamed him.

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Mark 11:1-25 (Contemporary English Version)

Mark 11

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

(Matthew 21.1-11; Luke 19.28-40; John 12.12-19)

 ¹Jesus and his disciples reached Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives. When they were getting close to Jerusalem, Jesus sent two of them on ahead. ²He told them, "Go into the next village. As soon as you enter it, you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here. ³If anyone asks why you are doing that, say, `The Lord ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[]} needs it and will soon bring it back.' "     ⁴The disciples left and found the donkey tied near a door that faced the street. While they were untying it, ⁵some of the people standing there asked, "Why are you untying the donkey?" ⁶They told them what Jesus had said, and the people let them take it.
    ⁷The disciples led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back, and Jesus got on. ⁸Many people spread clothes on the road, while others went to cut branches from the fields. ^{[b<="">]
    9}In front of Jesus and behind him, people went along shouting,
   "Hooray! ^[c<="">]
   God bless the one
   who comes
   in the name of the Lord!
    ¹⁰God bless the coming kingdom
   of our ancestor David.
   Hooray for God
   in heaven above!"
    ¹¹After Jesus had gone to Jerusalem, he went into the temple and looked around at everything. But since it was already late in the day, he went back to Bethany with the twelve disciples.
   

Jesus Puts a Curse on a Fig Tree

(Matthew 21.18,19)

 ¹²When Jesus and his disciples left Bethany the next morning, he was hungry. ¹³From a distance Jesus saw a fig tree covered with leaves, and he went to see if there were any figs on the tree. But there were not any, because it wasn't the season for figs. ¹⁴So Jesus said to the tree, "Never again will anyone eat fruit from this tree!" The disciples heard him say this.    

Jesus in the Temple

(Matthew 21.12-17; Luke 19.45-48; John 2.13-22)

 ¹⁵After Jesus and his disciples reached Jerusalem, he went into the temple and began chasing out everyone who was selling and buying. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those who were selling doves. ¹⁶Jesus would not let anyone carry things through the temple. ¹⁷Then he taught the people and said, "The Scriptures say, `My house should be called a place of worship for all nations.' But you have made it a place where robbers hide!"     ¹⁸The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses heard what Jesus said, and they started looking for a way to kill him. They were afraid of him, because the crowds were completely amazed at his teaching.
    ¹⁹That evening, Jesus and the disciples went outside the city.
   

A Lesson from the Fig Tree

(Matthew 21.20-22)

 ²⁰As the disciples walked past the fig tree the next morning, they noticed that it was completely dried up, roots and all. ²¹Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree. Then Peter said, "Teacher, look! The tree you put a curse on has dried up."     ²²Jesus told his disciples:
   Have faith in God! ²³If you have faith in God and don't doubt, you can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will. ²⁴Everything you ask for in prayer will be yours, if you only have faith.
    ^25-26Whenever you stand up to pray, you must forgive what others have done to you. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins. ^[d<="">]
   

Footnotes:

1. Mark 11:3 The Lord: Or "The master of the donkey."
2. Mark 11:8 spread. . . branches from the fields: This was one way that the Jewish people welcomed a famous person.
3. Mark 11:9 Hooray: This translates a word that can mean "please save us." But it is most often used as a shout of praise to God.
4. Mark 11:25 your sins: Some manuscripts add, "But if you do not forgive others, God will not forgive you."

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Psalm 46:1-11 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 46

(A special song for the people of Korah and for the music leader.)

God Is Our Mighty Fortress

 ¹God is our mighty fortress,    always ready to help
   in times of trouble.
    ²And so, we won't be afraid!
   Let the earth tremble
   and the mountains tumble
   into the deepest sea.
    ³Let the ocean roar and foam,
   and its raging waves
   shake the mountains.
    ⁴A river and its streams
   bring joy to the city,
   which is the sacred home
   of God Most High.
    ⁵God is in that city,
   and it won't be shaken.
   He will help it at dawn.
    ⁶Nations rage! Kingdoms fall!
   But at the voice of God
   the earth itself melts.
    ⁷The LORD All-Powerful
   is with us.
   The God of Jacob
   is our fortress.
    ⁸Come! See the fearsome things
   the LORD has done on earth.
    ⁹God brings wars to an end
   all over the world.
   He breaks the arrows,
   shatters the spears,
   and burns the shields. ^{a<="" value="[a]" >[] 10}Our God says, "Calm down,
   and learn that I am God!
   All nations on earth
   will honor me."
    ¹¹The LORD All-Powerful
   is with us.
   The God of Jacob
   is our fortress.
   

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 46:9 shields: Or " chariots."

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Proverbs 10:23 (Contemporary English Version)

²³Fools enjoy doing wrong,
   but anyone with good sense
   enjoys acting wisely.

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Verse of the Day

“The LORD says: "My thoughts and my ways are not like yours. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.” - Isaiah 55:8-9

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

German-born theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein wrote, “No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong.”

Bible Readings for August 31, 2016

Today our passages are Job 37:1–39:30; 2 Corinthians 4:13–5:10; Psalm 44:9-26; and Proverbs 22:13. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. If you find these readings helpful, please consider sending an offering directly to Cove Presbyterian Church, 3404 Main Street, Weirton, West Virginia or through PayPal.

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Job 37-39:30 (The Message)

Job 37

    "Whenever this happens, my heart stops— I'm stunned, I can't catch my breath.
Listen to it! Listen to his thunder,
   the rolling, rumbling thunder of his voice.
He lets loose his lightnings from horizon to horizon,
   lighting up the earth from pole to pole.
In their wake, the thunder echoes his voice,
   powerful and majestic.
He lets out all the stops, he holds nothing back.
   No one can mistake that voice—
His word thundering so wondrously,
   his mighty acts staggering our understanding.
He orders the snow, 'Blanket the earth!'
   and the rain, 'Soak the whole countryside!'
No one can escape the weather—it's there.
   And no one can escape from God.
Wild animals take shelter,
   crawling into their dens,
When blizzards roar out of the north
   and freezing rain crusts the land.
It's God's breath that forms the ice,
   it's God's breath that turns lakes and rivers solid.
And yes, it's God who fills clouds with rainwater
   and hurls lightning from them every which way.
He puts them through their paces—first this way, then that—
   commands them to do what he says all over the world.
Whether for discipline or grace or extravagant love,
   he makes sure they make their mark.

A Terrible Beauty Streams from God

 ^14-18 "Job, are you listening? Have you noticed all this?
   Stop in your tracks! Take in God's miracle-wonders!
Do you have any idea how God does it all,
   how he makes bright lightning from dark storms,
How he piles up the cumulus clouds—
   all these miracle-wonders of a perfect Mind?
Why, you don't even know how to keep cool
   on a sweltering hot day,
So how could you even dream
   of making a dent in that hot-tin-roof sky?

 ^19-22 "If you're so smart, give us a lesson in how to address God.
   We're in the dark and can't figure it out.
Do you think I'm dumb enough to challenge God?
   Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?
No one in his right mind stares straight at the sun
   on a clear and cloudless day.
As gold comes from the northern mountains,
   so a terrible beauty streams from God.

 ^23-24 "Mighty God! Far beyond our reach!
   Unsurpassable in power and justice!
   It's unthinkable that he'd treat anyone unfairly.
So bow to him in deep reverence, one and all!
   If you're wise, you'll most certainly worship him."

Job 38

God Confronts Job

Have You Gotten to the Bottom of Things?

 ¹ And now, finally, God answered Job from the eye of a violent storm. He said:  ^2-11 "Why do you confuse the issue?
   Why do you talk without knowing what you're talking about?
Pull yourself together, Job!
   Up on your feet! Stand tall!
I have some questions for you,
   and I want some straight answers.
Where were you when I created the earth?
   Tell me, since you know so much!
Who decided on its size? Certainly you'll know that!
   Who came up with the blueprints and measurements?
How was its foundation poured,
   and who set the cornerstone,
While the morning stars sang in chorus
   and all the angels shouted praise?
And who took charge of the ocean
   when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb?
That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds,
   and tucked it in safely at night.
Then I made a playpen for it,
   a strong playpen so it couldn't run loose,
And said, 'Stay here, this is your place.
   Your wild tantrums are confined to this place.'

 ^12-15 "And have you ever ordered Morning, 'Get up!'
   told Dawn, 'Get to work!'
So you could seize Earth like a blanket
   and shake out the wicked like cockroaches?
As the sun brings everything to light,
   brings out all the colors and shapes,
The cover of darkness is snatched from the wicked—
   they're caught in the very act!

 ^16-18 "Have you ever gotten to the true bottom of things,
   explored the labyrinthine caves of deep ocean?
Do you know the first thing about death?
   Do you have one clue regarding death's dark mysteries?
And do you have any idea how large this earth is?
   Speak up if you have even the beginning of an answer.

 ^19-21 "Do you know where Light comes from
   and where Darkness lives
So you can take them by the hand
   and lead them home when they get lost?
Why, of course you know that.
   You've known them all your life,
   grown up in the same neighborhood with them!

 ^22-30 "Have you ever traveled to where snow is made,
   seen the vault where hail is stockpiled,
The arsenals of hail and snow that I keep in readiness
   for times of trouble and battle and war?
Can you find your way to where lightning is launched,
   or to the place from which the wind blows?
Who do you suppose carves canyons
   for the downpours of rain, and charts
   the route of thunderstorms
That bring water to unvisited fields,
   deserts no one ever lays eyes on,
Drenching the useless wastelands
   so they're carpeted with wildflowers and grass?
And who do you think is the father of rain and dew,
   the mother of ice and frost?
You don't for a minute imagine
   these marvels of weather just happen, do you?

 ^31-33 "Can you catch the eye of the beautiful Pleiades sisters,
   or distract Orion from his hunt?
Can you get Venus to look your way,
   or get the Great Bear and her cubs to come out and play?
Do you know the first thing about the sky's constellations
   and how they affect things on Earth?

 ^34-35 "Can you get the attention of the clouds,
   and commission a shower of rain?
Can you take charge of the lightning bolts
   and have them report to you for orders?

What Do You Have to Say for Yourself?

 ^36-38 "Who do you think gave weather-wisdom to the ibis,
   and storm-savvy to the rooster?
Does anyone know enough to number all the clouds
   or tip over the rain barrels of heaven
When the earth is cracked and dry,
   the ground baked hard as a brick?

 ^39-41 "Can you teach the lioness to stalk her prey
   and satisfy the appetite of her cubs
As they crouch in their den,
   waiting hungrily in their cave?
And who sets out food for the ravens
   when their young cry to God,
   fluttering about because they have no food?"

Job 39

    "Do you know the month when mountain goats give birth? Have you ever watched a doe bear her fawn?
Do you know how many months she is pregnant?
   Do you know the season of her delivery,
   when she crouches down and drops her offspring?
Her young ones flourish and are soon on their own;
   they leave and don't come back.

 ^5-8 "Who do you think set the wild donkey free,
   opened the corral gates and let him go?
I gave him the whole wilderness to roam in,
   the rolling plains and wide-open places.
He laughs at his city cousins, who are harnessed and harried.
   He's oblivious to the cries of teamsters.
He grazes freely through the hills,
   nibbling anything that's green.

 ^9-12 "Will the wild buffalo condescend to serve you,
   volunteer to spend the night in your barn?
Can you imagine hitching your plow to a buffalo
   and getting him to till your fields?
He's hugely strong, yes, but could you trust him,
   would you dare turn the job over to him?
You wouldn't for a minute depend on him, would you,
   to do what you said when you said it?

 ^13-18 "The ostrich flaps her wings futilely—
   all those beautiful feathers, but useless!
She lays her eggs on the hard ground,
   leaves them there in the dirt, exposed to the weather,
Not caring that they might get stepped on and cracked
   or trampled by some wild animal.
She's negligent with her young, as if they weren't even hers.
   She cares nothing about anything.
She wasn't created very smart, that's for sure,
   wasn't given her share of good sense.
But when she runs, oh, how she runs,
   laughing, leaving horse and rider in the dust.

 ^19-25 "Are you the one who gave the horse his prowess
   and adorned him with a shimmering mane?
Did you create him to prance proudly
   and strike terror with his royal snorts?
He paws the ground fiercely, eager and spirited,
   then charges into the fray.
He laughs at danger, fearless,
   doesn't shy away from the sword.
The banging and clanging
   of quiver and lance don't faze him.
He quivers with excitement, and at the trumpet blast
   races off at a gallop.
At the sound of the trumpet he neighs mightily,
   smelling the excitement of battle from a long way off,
   catching the rolling thunder of the war cries.

 ^26-30 "Was it through your know-how that the hawk learned to fly,
   soaring effortlessly on thermal updrafts?
Did you command the eagle's flight,
   and teach her to build her nest in the heights,
Perfectly at home on the high cliff face,
   invulnerable on pinnacle and crag?
From her perch she searches for prey,
   spies it at a great distance.
Her young gorge themselves on carrion;
   wherever there's a roadkill, you'll see her circling."

 

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2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10 (The Message)

 ^13-15We're not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, "I believed it, so I said it," we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God's glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!
 ^16-18So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.

2 Corinthians 5

 ^1-5For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven—God-made, not handmade—and we'll never have to relocate our "tents" again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move—and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what's coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we're tired of it! We've been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less.  ^6-8That's why we live with such good cheer. You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.
 ^9-10But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that's what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions. Sooner or later we'll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what's coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad.

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Psalm 44:9-26 (The Message)

 ^9-12 But now you've walked off and left us,
      you've disgraced us and won't fight for us.
   You made us turn tail and run;
      those who hate us have cleaned us out.
   You delivered us as sheep to the butcher,
      you scattered us to the four winds.
   You sold your people at a discount—
      you made nothing on the sale.

 ^13-16 You made people on the street,
      urchins, poke fun and call us names.
   You made us a joke among the godless,
      a cheap joke among the rabble.
   Every day I'm up against it,
      my nose rubbed in my shame—
   Gossip and ridicule fill the air,
      people out to get me crowd the street.

 ^17-19 All this came down on us,
      and we've done nothing to deserve it.
   We never betrayed your Covenant: our hearts
      were never false, our feet never left your path.
   Do we deserve torture in a den of jackals?
      or lockup in a black hole?

 ^20-22 If we had forgotten to pray to our God
      or made fools of ourselves with store-bought gods,
   Wouldn't God have figured this out?
      We can't hide things from him.
   No, you decided to make us martyrs,
      lambs assigned for sacrifice each day.

 ^23-26 Get up, God! Are you going to sleep all day?
      Wake up! Don't you care what happens to us?
   Why do you bury your face in the pillow?
      Why pretend things are just fine with us?
   And here we are—flat on our faces in the dirt,
      held down with a boot on our necks.
   Get up and come to our rescue.
      If you love us so much, Help us!

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Proverbs 22:13 (The Message)

 ¹³ The loafer says, "There's a lion on the loose!
   If I go out I'll be eaten alive!"

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Verse of the Day
“Bow down and worship the LORD our Creator! The LORD is our God, and we are his people, the sheep he takes care of in his own pasture. Listen to God's voice today!” - Psalm 95:6-7

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

German-born theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein wrote, “Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish.”