Bible Readings for April 28, 2016

Today our passages are Judges 8:18–9:21; Luke 23:44–24:12; Psalm 99:1-9; and Proverbs 14:9-10. 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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Judges 8:18-9:21 (The Message)

¹⁸ He then addressed Zebah and Zalmunna: "Tell me about the men you killed at Tabor."
"They were men much like you," they said, "each one like a king's son."
¹⁹ Gideon said, "They were my brothers, my mother's sons. As God lives, if you had let them live, I would let you live."
²⁰ Then he spoke to Jether, his firstborn: "Get up and kill them." But he couldn't do it, couldn't draw his sword. He was afraid—he was still just a boy.
²¹ Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Do it yourself—if you're man enough!" And Gideon did it. He stepped up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna. Then he took the crescents that hung on the necks of their camels.
²² The Israelites said, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson. You have saved us from Midian's tyranny."
²³ Gideon said, "I most certainly will not rule over you, nor will my son. God will reign over you."
²⁴ Then Gideon said, "But I do have one request. Give me, each of you, an earring that you took as plunder." Ishmaelites wore gold earrings, and the men all had their pockets full of them.
^25-26 They said, "Of course. They're yours!"
They spread out a blanket and each man threw his plundered earrings on it. The gold earrings that Gideon had asked for weighed about forty-three pounds—and that didn't include the crescents and pendants, the purple robes worn by the Midianite kings, and the ornaments hung around the necks of their camels.
²⁷ Gideon made the gold into a sacred ephod and put it on display in his hometown, Ophrah. All Israel prostituted itself there. Gideon and his family, too, were seduced by it.
²⁸ Midian's tyranny was broken by the Israelites; nothing more was heard from them. The land was quiet for forty years in Gideon's time.

^29-31 Jerub-Baal son of Joash went home and lived in his house. Gideon had seventy sons. He fathered them all—he had a lot of wives! His concubine, the one at Shechem, also bore him a son. He named him Abimelech.
³² Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age. He was buried in the tomb of his father Joash at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Abimelech

^33-35 Gideon was hardly cool in the tomb when the People of Israel had gotten off track and were prostituting themselves to Baal—they made Baal-of-the-Covenant their god. The People of Israel forgot all about God, their God, who had saved them from all their enemies who had hemmed them in. And they didn't keep faith with the family of Jerub-Baal (Gideon), honoring all the good he had done for Israel.

Judges 9

^1-2Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to Shechem to his uncles and all his mother's relatives and said to them, "Ask all the leading men of Shechem, 'What do you think is best, that seventy men rule you—all those sons of Jerub-Baal—or that one man rule? You'll remember that I am your own flesh and blood.'" ³ His mother's relatives reported the proposal to the leaders of Shechem. They were inclined to take Abimelech. "Because," they said, "he is, after all, one of us."
^4-5 They gave him seventy silver pieces from the shrine of Baal-of-theCovenant. With the money he hired some reckless riffraff soldiers and they followed along after him. He went to his father's house in Ophrah and killed his half brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal—seventy men! And on one stone! The youngest, Jotham son of Jerub-Baal, managed to hide, the only survivor.
⁶ Then all the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered at the Oak by the Standing Stone at Shechem and crowned Abimelech king.
^7-9 When this was all told to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and shouted:
Listen to me, leaders of Shechem.
And let God listen to you!
The trees set out one day
to anoint a king for themselves.
They said to Olive Tree,
"Rule over us."
But Olive Tree told them,
"Am I no longer good for making oil
That gives glory to gods and men,
and to be demoted to waving over trees?"
^10-11 The trees then said to Fig Tree,
"You come and rule over us."
But Fig Tree said to them,
"Am I no longer good for making sweets,
My mouthwatering sweet fruits,
and to be demoted to waving over trees?"
^12-13 The trees then said to Vine,
"You come and rule over us."
But Vine said to them,
"Am I no longer good for making wine,
Wine that cheers gods and men,
and to be demoted to waving over trees?"
^14-15 All the trees then said to Tumbleweed,
"You come and reign over us."
But Tumbleweed said to the trees:
"If you're serious about making me your king,
Come and find shelter in my shade.
But if not, let fire shoot from Tumbleweed
and burn down the cedars of Lebanon!"
^16-20 "Now listen: Do you think you did a right and honorable thing when you made Abimelech king? Do you think you treated Jerub-Baal and his family well, did for him what he deserved? My father fought for you, risked his own life, and rescued you from Midian's tyranny, and you have, just now, betrayed him. You massacred his sons—seventy men on a single stone! You made Abimelech, the son by his maidservant, king over Shechem's leaders because he's your relative. If you think that this is an honest day's work, this way you have treated Jerub-Baal today, then enjoy Abimelech and let him enjoy you. But if not, let fire break from Abimelech and burn up the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo. And let fire break from the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo and burn up Abimelech."
²¹ And Jotham fled. He ran for his life. He went to Beer and settled down there, because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.

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Luke 23:44-24:12 (The Message)

^44-46By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours—a total blackout. The Temple curtain split right down the middle. Jesus called loudly, "Father, I place my life in your hands!" Then he breathed his last.

⁴⁷When the captain there saw what happened, he honored God: "This man was innocent! A good man, and innocent!"

^48-49All who had come around as spectators to watch the show, when they saw what actually happened, were overcome with grief and headed home. Those who knew Jesus well, along with the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a respectful distance and kept vigil.

^50-54There was a man by the name of Joseph, a member of the Jewish High Council, a man of good heart and good character. He had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council. His hometown was the Jewish village of Arimathea. He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Taking him down, he wrapped him in a linen shroud and placed him in a tomb chiseled into the rock, a tomb never yet used. It was the day before Sabbath, the Sabbath just about to begin.

^55-56The women who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus' body was placed. Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes. They rested quietly on the Sabbath, as commanded.

Luke 24

Looking for the Living One in a Cemetery

^1-3At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn't find the body of the Master Jesus.

^4-8They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, "Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?" Then they remembered Jesus' words.

^9-11They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles, but the apostles didn't believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up.

¹²But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that's all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head.

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Psalm 99:1-9 (The Message)

Psalm 99

God rules. On your toes, everybody! He rules from his angel throne—take notice!
God looms majestic in Zion,
He towers in splendor over all the big names.
Great and terrible your beauty: let everyone praise you!
Holy. Yes, holy.

^4-5 Strong King, lover of justice,
You laid things out fair and square;
You set down the foundations in Jacob,
Foundation stones of just and right ways.
Honor God, our God; worship his rule!
Holy. Yes, holy.

^6-9 Moses and Aaron were his priests,
Samuel among those who prayed to him.
They prayed to God and he answered them;
He spoke from the pillar of cloud.
And they did what he said; they kept the law he gave them.
And then God, our God, answered them
(But you were never soft on their sins).
Lift high God, our God; worship at his holy mountain.
Holy. Yes, holy is God our God.

 

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Proverbs 14:9-10 (The Message)

⁹ The stupid ridicule right and wrong,
but a moral life is a favored life.

¹⁰ The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends
will be an outsider at their celebrations.

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Verse of the Day

“and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought: Christ was truly God. But he did not try to remain equal with God. Instead he gave up everything and became a slave, when he became like one of us. Christ was humble. He obeyed God and even died on a cross.” - Philippians 2:5-8

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

Widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists, Miguel de Cervantes wrote, “In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd.”

Bible Readings for January 21, 2015

Today our passages are Genesis 42:18–43:34; Matthew 13:47–14:12; Psalm 18:16-36; and Proverbs 4:7-10. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.  

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Genesis 42:18-43:34 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁸before saying to them:
Since I respect God, I'll give you a chance to save your lives. ¹⁹If you are honest men, one of you must stay here in jail, and the rest of you can take the grain back to your starving families. ²⁰But you must bring your youngest brother to me. Then I'll know that you are telling the truth, and you won't be put to death.
Joseph's brothers agreed ²¹and said to one another, "We're being punished because of Joseph. We saw the trouble he was in, but we refused to help him when he begged us. That's why these terrible things are happening."
²²Reuben spoke up, "Didn't I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn't listen, and now we have to pay the price for killing him."
²³They did not know that Joseph could understand them, since he was speaking through an interpreter. ²⁴Joseph turned away from them and cried, but soon he turned back and spoke to them again. Then he had Simeon tied up and taken away while they watched.

Joseph's Brothers Return to Canaan

²⁵Joseph gave orders for his brothers' grain sacks to be filled with grain and for their money ^[a] to be put in their sacks. He also gave orders for them to be given food for their journey home. After this was done, ²⁶they each loaded the grain on their donkeys and left. ²⁷When they stopped for the night, one of them opened his sack to get some grain for his donkey, and right away he saw his moneybag. ²⁸"Here's my money!" he told his brothers. "Right here in my sack." They were trembling with fear as they stared at one another and asked themselves, "What has God done to us?"
²⁹When they returned to the land of Canaan, they told their father Jacob everything that had happened to them:
³⁰The governor of Egypt was rude and treated us like spies. ³¹But we told him, "We're honest men, not spies. ³²We come from a family of twelve brothers. The youngest is still with our father in Canaan, and the other is dead."
³³Then the governor of Egypt told us, "I'll find out if you really are honest. Leave one of your brothers here with me, while you take the grain to your starving families. ³⁴But bring your youngest brother to me, so I can be certain that you are honest men and not spies. After that, I'll let your other brother go free, and you can stay here and trade."
³⁵When the brothers started emptying their sacks of grain, they found their moneybags in them. They were frightened, and so was their father Jacob, ³⁶who said, "You have already taken my sons Joseph and Simeon from me. And now you want to take away Benjamin! Everything is against me."
³⁷Reuben spoke up, "Father, if I don't bring Benjamin back, you can kill both of my sons. Trust me with him, and I will bring him back."
³⁸But Jacob said, "I won't let my son Benjamin go down to Egypt with the rest of you. His brother is already dead, and he is the only son I have left. ^[b] I am an old man, and if anything happens to him on the way, I'll die from sorrow, and all of you will be to blame."

Genesis 43

Joseph's Brothers Return to Egypt with Benjamin

¹The famine in Canaan got worse, ²until finally, Jacob's family had eaten all the grain they had bought in Egypt. So Jacob said to his sons, "Go back and buy some more grain." ^3-5Judah replied, "The governor strictly warned us that we would not be allowed to see him unless we brought our youngest brother with us. If you let us take Benjamin along, we will go and buy grain. But we won't go without him!"
⁶Jacob asked, "Why did you cause me so much trouble by telling the governor you had another brother?"
⁷They answered, "He asked a lot of questions about us and our family. He wanted to know if you were still alive and if we had any more brothers. All we could do was answer his questions. How could we know he would tell us to bring along our brother?"
⁸Then Judah said to his father, "Let Benjamin go with me, and we will leave right away, so that none of us will starve to death. ⁹I promise to bring him back safely, and if I don't, you can blame me as long as I live. ¹⁰If we had not wasted all this time, we could already have been there and back twice."
¹¹Their father said:
If Benjamin must go with you, take the governor a gift of some of the best things from our own country, such as perfume, honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds. ^[c]12Also take along twice the amount of money for the grain, because there must have been some mistake when the money was put back in your sacks. ¹³Take Benjamin with you and leave right away. ¹⁴When you go in to see the governor, I pray that God All-Powerful will be good to you and that the governor will let your other brother and Benjamin come back home with you. If I must lose my children, I suppose I must.
¹⁵The brothers took the gifts, twice the amount of money, and Benjamin. Then they hurried off to Egypt. When they stood in front of Joseph, ¹⁶he saw Benjamin and told the servant in charge of his house, "Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and cook it, so they can eat with me at noon."
¹⁷The servant did as he was told and took the brothers to Joseph's house. ¹⁸But on the way they got worried and started thinking, "We are being taken there because of the money that was put back in our sacks last time. He will arrest us, make us his slaves, and take our donkeys."
¹⁹So when they arrived at Joseph's house, they said to the servant in charge, ²⁰"Sir, we came to Egypt once before to buy grain. ²¹But when we stopped for the night, we each found in our grain sacks the exact amount we had paid. We have brought that money back, ²²together with enough money to buy more grain. We don't know who put the money in our sacks."
²³"It's all right," the servant replied. "Don't worry. The God you and your father worship must have put the money there, because I received your payment in full." Then he brought Simeon out to them.
²⁴The servant took them into Joseph's house and gave them water to wash their feet. He also tended their donkeys. ²⁵The brothers got their gifts ready to give to Joseph at noon, since they had heard they were going to eat there.
²⁶When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought, and they bowed down to him. ²⁷After Joseph had asked how they were, he said, "What about your elderly father? Is he still alive?"
²⁸They answered, "Your servant our father is still alive and well." And again they bowed down to Joseph.
²⁹When Joseph looked around and saw his brother Benjamin, he said, "This must be your youngest brother, the one you told me about. God bless you, my son."
³⁰Right away he rushed off to his room and cried because of his love for Benjamin. ³¹After washing his face and returning, he was able to control himself and said, "Serve the meal!"
³²Joseph was served at a table by himself, and his brothers were served at another. The Egyptians sat at yet another table, because Egyptians felt it was disgusting to eat with Hebrews. ³³To the surprise of Joseph's brothers, they were seated in front of him according to their ages, from the oldest to the youngest. ³⁴They were served food from Joseph's table, and Benjamin was given five times as much as each of the others. So Joseph's brothers drank with him and had a good time.

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 42:25money: Probably in the form of small pieces of silver and/or other precious or semi-precious metals; there were no coins or paper money at this time.
2. Genesis 42:38only son I have left: Jacob had only two sons by Rachel, his favorite wife.
3. Genesis 43:11honey, spices, pistachio nuts, and almonds: Some of these foods were still available in Canaan, but the main food was bread, and there was no grain to make bread.

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Matthew 13:47-14:12 (Contemporary English Version)

A Fish Net

⁴⁷The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a net is thrown into a lake and catches all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸When the net is full, it is dragged to the shore, and the fishermen sit down to separate the fish. They keep the good ones, but throw the bad ones away. ⁴⁹That's how it will be at the end of time. Angels will come and separate the evil people from the ones who have done right. ⁵⁰Then those evil people will be thrown into a flaming furnace, where they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.

New and Old Treasures

⁵¹Jesus asked his disciples if they understood all these things. They said, "Yes, we do." ⁵²So he told them, "Every student of the Scriptures who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like someone who brings out new and old treasures from the storeroom."

The People of Nazareth Turn against Jesus

(Mark 6.1-6; Luke 4.16-30)

⁵³When Jesus had finished telling these stories, he left ⁵⁴and went to his hometown. He taught in their meeting place, and the people were so amazed that they asked, "Where does he get all this wisdom and the power to work these miracles? ⁵⁵Isn't he the son of the carpenter? Isn't Mary his mother, and aren't James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? ⁵⁶Don't his sisters still live here in our town? How can he do all this?" ⁵⁷So the people were very unhappy because of what he was doing. But Jesus said, "Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their own family." ⁵⁸And because the people did not have any faith, Jesus did not work many miracles there.

Matthew 14

The Death of John the Baptist

(Mark 6.14-29; Luke 9.7-9)

¹About this time Herod the ruler ^[a] heard the news about Jesus ²and told his officials, "This is John the Baptist! He has come back from death, and that's why he has the power to work these miracles." ^3-4Herod had earlier arrested John and had him chained and put in prison. He did this because John had told him, "It isn't right for you to take Herodias, the wife of your brother Philip." ⁵Herod wanted to kill John. But the people thought John was a prophet, and Herod was afraid of what they might do. ⁶When Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests. She pleased Herod ⁷so much that he swore to give her whatever she wanted. ⁸But the girl's mother told her to say, "Here on a platter I want the head of John the Baptist!"
⁹The king was sorry for what he had said. But he did not want to break the promise he had made in front of his guests. So he ordered a guard ¹⁰to go to the prison and cut off John's head. ¹¹It was taken on a platter to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. ¹²John's followers took his body and buried it. Then they told Jesus what had happened.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 14:1Herod the ruler: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great (see 2.1).

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Psalm 18:16-36 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁶You reached down from heaven,
and you lifted me
from deep in the ocean.
¹⁷You rescued me from enemies,
who were hateful
and too powerful for me.
¹⁸On the day disaster struck,
they came and attacked,
but you defended me.
¹⁹When I was fenced in,
you freed and rescued me
because you love me.
²⁰You are good to me, LORD,
because I do right,
and you reward me
because I am innocent.
²¹I do what you want
and never turn to do evil.
²²I keep your laws in mind
and never look away
from your teachings.
²³I obey you completely
and guard against sin.
²⁴You have been good to me
because I do right;
you have rewarded me
for being innocent
by your standards.
²⁵You are always loyal
to your loyal people,
and you are faithful
to the faithful.
²⁶With all who are sincere,
you are sincere,
but you treat the unfaithful
as their deeds deserve.
²⁷You rescue the humble,
but you put down all
who are proud.
²⁸You, the LORD God,
keep my lamp burning
and turn darkness to light.
²⁹You help me defeat armies
and capture cities.
³⁰Your way is perfect, LORD,
and your word is correct.
You are a shield for those
who run to you for help.
³¹You alone are God!
Only you are a mighty rock. ^[a]32You give me strength
and guide me right.
³³You make my feet run as fast
as those of a deer,
and you help me stand
on the mountains.
³⁴You teach my hands to fight
and my arms to use
a bow of bronze.
³⁵You alone are my shield.
Your right hand supports me,
and by coming to help me,
you have made me famous.
³⁶You clear the way for me,
and now I won't stumble.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 18:31mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.

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Proverbs 4:7-10 (Contemporary English Version)

⁷The best thing about Wisdom
is Wisdom herself;
good sense is more important
than anything else.
⁸If you value Wisdom
and hold tightly to her,
great honors will be yours.
⁹It will be like wearing
a glorious crown
of beautiful flowers.

The Right Way and the Wrong Way

¹⁰My child, if you listen and obey my teachings,
you will live a long time.

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Verse of the Day

“You cannot fool God, so don't make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life.” - Galatians 6:7-8

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright, Miguel de Cervantes wrote, “To be prepared is half the victory.”

Bible Readings for September 30, 2014

Today our passages are Isaiah 60:1–62:5; Philippians 1:27–2:18; Psalm 72:1-20; and Proverbs 24:11-12. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. 

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Isaiah 60-62:5 (The Message)

Isaiah 60

People Returning for the Reunion

 ^1-7 "Get out of bed, Jerusalem! Wake up. Put your face in the sunlight.
   God's bright glory has risen for you.
The whole earth is wrapped in darkness,
   all people sunk in deep darkness,
But God rises on you,
   his sunrise glory breaks over you.
Nations will come to your light,
   kings to your sunburst brightness.
Look up! Look around!
   Watch as they gather, watch as they approach you:
Your sons coming from great distances,
   your daughters carried by their nannies.
When you see them coming you'll smile—big smiles!
   Your heart will swell and, yes, burst!
All those people returning by sea for the reunion,
   a rich harvest of exiles gathered in from the nations!
And then streams of camel caravans as far as the eye can see,
   young camels of nomads in Midian and Ephah,
Pouring in from the south from Sheba,
   loaded with gold and frankincense,
   preaching the praises of God.
And yes, a great roundup
   of flocks from the nomads in Kedar and Nebaioth,
Welcome gifts for worship at my altar
   as I bathe my glorious Temple in splendor.

What's That We See in the Distance?

 ^8-22"What's that we see in the distance,
   a cloud on the horizon, like doves darkening the sky?
It's ships from the distant islands,
   the famous Tarshish ships
Returning your children from faraway places,
   loaded with riches, with silver and gold,
And backed by the name of your God, The Holy of Israel,
   showering you with splendor.
Foreigners will rebuild your walls,
   and their kings assist you in the conduct of worship.
When I was angry I hit you hard.
   It's my desire now to be tender.
Your Jerusalem gates will always be open
   —open house day and night!—
Receiving deliveries of wealth from all nations,
   and their kings, the delivery boys!
Any nation or kingdom that doesn't deliver will perish;
   those nations will be totally wasted.
The rich woods of Lebanon will be delivered
   —all that cypress and oak and pine—
To give a splendid elegance to my Sanctuary,
   as I make my footstool glorious.
The descendants of your oppressor
   will come bowing and scraping to you.
All who looked down at you in contempt
   will lick your boots.
They'll confer a title on you: City of God,
   Zion of The Holy of Israel.
Not long ago you were despised refuse—
   out-of-the-way, unvisited, ignored.
But now I've put you on your feet,
   towering and grand forever, a joy to look at!
When you suck the milk of nations
   and the breasts of royalty,
You'll know that I, God, am your Savior,
   your Redeemer, Champion of Jacob.
I'll give you only the best—no more hand-me-downs!
   Gold instead of bronze, silver instead of iron,
   bronze instead of wood, iron instead of stones.
I'll install Peace to run your country,
   make Righteousness your boss.
There'll be no more stories of crime in your land,
   no more robberies, no more vandalism.
You'll name your main street Salvation Way,
   and install Praise Park at the center of town.
You'll have no more need of the sun by day
   nor the brightness of the moon at night.
God will be your eternal light,
   your God will bathe you in splendor.
Your sun will never go down,
   your moon will never fade.
I will be your eternal light.
   Your days of grieving are over.
All your people will live right and well,
   in permanent possession of the land.
They're the green shoot that I planted,
   planted with my own hands to display my glory.
The runt will become a great tribe,
   the weakling become a strong nation.
I am God.
   At the right time I'll make it happen."

Isaiah 61

Announce Freedom to All Captives

 ^1-7 The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
   heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
   pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
   a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies—
   and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
   give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
   a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness"
   planted by God to display his glory.
They'll rebuild the old ruins,
   raise a new city out of the wreckage.
They'll start over on the ruined cities,
   take the rubble left behind and make it new.
You'll hire outsiders to herd your flocks
   and foreigners to work your fields,
But you'll have the title "Priests of God,"
   honored as ministers of our God.
You'll feast on the bounty of nations,
   you'll bask in their glory.
Because you got a double dose of trouble
   and more than your share of contempt,
Your inheritance in the land will be doubled
   and your joy go on forever.  ^8-9"Because I, God, love fair dealing
   and hate thievery and crime,
I'll pay your wages on time and in full,
   and establish my eternal covenant with you.
Your descendants will become well-known all over.
   Your children in foreign countries
Will be recognized at once
   as the people I have blessed."
 ^10-11I will sing for joy in God,
   explode in praise from deep in my soul!
He dressed me up in a suit of salvation,
   he outfitted me in a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom who puts on a tuxedo
   and a bride a jeweled tiara.
For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers,
   and as a garden cascades with blossoms,
So the Master, God, brings righteousness into full bloom
   and puts praise on display before the nations.

Isaiah 62

Look, Your Savior Comes!

 ^1-5 Regarding Zion, I can't keep my mouth shut, regarding Jerusalem, I can't hold my tongue,
Until her righteousness blazes down like the sun
   and her salvation flames up like a torch.
Foreign countries will see your righteousness,
   and world leaders your glory.
You'll get a brand-new name
   straight from the mouth of God.
You'll be a stunning crown in the palm of God's hand,
   a jeweled gold cup held high in the hand of your God.
No more will anyone call you Rejected,
   and your country will no more be called Ruined.
You'll be called Hephzibah (My Delight),
   and your land Beulah (Married),
Because God delights in you
   and your land will be like a wedding celebration.
For as a young man marries his virgin bride,
   so your builder marries you,
And as a bridegroom is happy in his bride,
   so your God is happy with you.

 

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Philippians 1:27-2:18 (The Message)

 ^27-30Meanwhile, live in such a way that you are a credit to the Message of Christ. Let nothing in your conduct hang on whether I come or not. Your conduct must be the same whether I show up to see things for myself or hear of it from a distance. Stand united, singular in vision, contending for people's trust in the Message, the good news, not flinching or dodging in the slightest before the opposition. Your courage and unity will show them what they're up against: defeat for them, victory for you—and both because of God. There's far more to this life than trusting in Christ. There's also suffering for him. And the suffering is as much a gift as the trusting. You're involved in the same kind of struggle you saw me go through, on which you are now getting an updated report in this letter.

Philippians 2

He Took on the Status of a Slave

 ^1-4If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.  ^5-8Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
 ^9-11Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

Rejoicing Together

 ^12-13What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.  ^14-16Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing.
 ^17-18Even if I am executed here and now, I'll rejoice in being an element in the offering of your faith that you make on Christ's altar, a part of your rejoicing. But turnabout's fair play—you must join me in my rejoicing. Whatever you do, don't feel sorry for me.

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Psalm 72:1-20 (The Message)

Psalm 72

A Solomon Psalm

 ^1-8 Give the gift of wise rule to the king, O God, the gift of just rule to the crown prince.
   May he judge your people rightly,
      be honorable to your meek and lowly.
   Let the mountains give exuberant witness;
      shape the hills with the contours of right living.
   Please stand up for the poor,
      help the children of the needy,
      come down hard on the cruel tyrants.
   Outlast the sun, outlive the moon—
      age after age after age.
   Be rainfall on cut grass,
      earth-refreshing rain showers.
   Let righteousness burst into blossom
      and peace abound until the moon fades to nothing.
   Rule from sea to sea,
      from the River to the Rim.

 ^9-14 Foes will fall on their knees before God,
      his enemies lick the dust.
   Kings remote and legendary will pay homage,
      kings rich and resplendent will turn over their wealth.
   All kings will fall down and worship,
      and godless nations sign up to serve him,
   Because he rescues the poor at the first sign of need,
      the destitute who have run out of luck.
   He opens a place in his heart for the down-and-out,
      he restores the wretched of the earth.
   He frees them from tyranny and torture—
      when they bleed, he bleeds;
      when they die, he dies.

 ^15-17 And live! Oh, let him live!
      Deck him out in Sheba gold.
   Offer prayers unceasing to him,
      bless him from morning to night.
   Fields of golden grain in the land,
      cresting the mountains in wild exuberance,
   Cornucopias of praise, praises
      springing from the city like grass from the earth.
   May he never be forgotten,
      his fame shine on like sunshine.
   May all godless people enter his circle of blessing
      and bless the One who blessed them.

 ^18-20 Blessed God, Israel's God,
      the one and only wonder-working God!
   Blessed always his blazing glory!
      All earth brims with his glory.
   Yes and Yes and Yes.

 

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Proverbs 24:11-12 (The Message)

25

 ^11-12 Rescue the perishing;
   don't hesitate to step in and help.
If you say, "Hey, that's none of my business,"
   will that get you off the hook?
Someone is watching you closely, you know—
   Someone not impressed with weak excuses.

 

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Verse of the Day

 

“I pray that your love will keep on growing and that you will fully know and understand how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day,” - Philippians 1:9-10

Today's passage is from the Contemporary English Version.

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Thought for the Day

 

Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright, Miguel de Cervantes wrote, “There's not the least thing can be said or done, but people will talk and find fault.”