(Psalm 116)
I love the Lord, because he hears me;
he listens to my prayers.
He listens to me every time I call to him.
The danger of death was all around me;
the horrors of the grave closed in on me;
I was filled with fear and anxiety.
Then I called to the Lord,
“I beg you, Lord, save me!”
The Lord is merciful and good;
our God is compassionate.
The Lord protects the helpless;
when I was in danger, he saved me.
Be confident, my heart,
because the Lord has been good to me.
The Lord saved me from death;
he stopped my tears and kept me from defeat.
And so I walk in the presence of the Lord
in the world of the living.
I kept on believing, even when I said,
“I am completely crushed,”
even when I was afraid and said,
“No one can be trusted.”
What can I offer the Lord
for all his goodness to me?
I will bring a wine offering to the Lord,
to thank him for saving me.
In the assembly of all his people
I will give him what I have promised.
How painful it is to the Lord
when one of his people dies!
I am your servant, Lord;
I serve you just as my mother did.
You have saved me from death.
I will give you a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and offer my prayer to you.
In the assembly of all your people,
in the sanctuary of your Temple in Jerusalem.
I will give you what I have promised.
Praise the Lord!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
32.3 God Gives More Than Needed
(2 Corinthians 9:8-10)
And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause. As the scripture says, “He gives generously to the needy; his kindness lasts forever.”
And God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your generosity.
And God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your generosity.
32.2 God Promises To Care As In The Past
(2 Samuel 7:8-11a)
“So tell my servant David that I, the Lord Almighty, say to him, ‘I took you from looking after sheep in the fields and made you the ruler of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have defeated all your enemies as you advanced. I will make you as famous as the greatest leaders in the world. I have chosen a place for my people Israel and have settled them there, where they will live without being oppressed any more. Ever since they entered this land, they have been attacked by violent people, but this will not happen again.
32.1 God Will Always Care For Us
(Leviticus 26:3-13)
“If you live according to my laws and obey my commands, I will send you rain at the right time, so that the land will produce crops and the trees will bear fruit. Your crops will be so plentiful that you will still be harvesting grain when it is time to pick grapes; and you will still be picking grapes when it is time to plant grain. You will have all that you want to eat, and you can live in safety in your land.”
“I will give you peace in your land, and you can sleep without being afraid of anyone. I will get rid of the dangerous animals in the land, and there will be no more war there. You will be victorious over your enemies; five of you will be able to defeat a hundred, and a hundred will be able to defeat ten thousand. I will bless you and give you many children; I will keep my part of the covenant that I made with you. Your harvests will be so plentiful that they will last for a year, and even then you will have to throw away what is left of the old harvest to make room for the new. I will live among you in my sacred Tent, and I will never turn away from you. I will be with you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. I, the Lord your God, brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves, broke the power that held you down and I let you walk with your head held high.”
“I will give you peace in your land, and you can sleep without being afraid of anyone. I will get rid of the dangerous animals in the land, and there will be no more war there. You will be victorious over your enemies; five of you will be able to defeat a hundred, and a hundred will be able to defeat ten thousand. I will bless you and give you many children; I will keep my part of the covenant that I made with you. Your harvests will be so plentiful that they will last for a year, and even then you will have to throw away what is left of the old harvest to make room for the new. I will live among you in my sacred Tent, and I will never turn away from you. I will be with you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. I, the Lord your God, brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves, broke the power that held you down and I let you walk with your head held high.”
31.4 Praise Of God The Creator
(Psalm 104:1-4, 10-18, 27-33, 36)
Praise the Lord, my soul!
O Lord, my God, how great you are!
You are clothed with majesty and glory;
you cover yourself with light.
You spread out the heavens like a tent
and built your home on the waters above.
You use the clouds as your chariot
and ride on the wings of the wind.
You use the winds as your messengers
and flashes of lightning as your servants.
You make springs flow in the valleys,
and rivers run between the hills.
They provide water for the wild animals;
there the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
In the trees near by, the birds make their nests
and sing.
From the sky you send rain on the hills,
and the earth is filled with your blessings,
You make grass grow for the cattle
and plants for man to use,
so that he can grow his crops
and produce wine to make him happy,
olive oil to make him cheerful,
and bread to give him strength.
The cedars of Lebanon get plenty of rain—
the Lord’s own trees, which he planted.
There the birds build their nests;
the storks nest in the fir trees.
The wild goats live in the high mountains,
and the rock badgers hide in the cliffs.
All of them depend on you
to give them food when they need it.
You give it to them, and they eat it;
you provide food, and they are satisfied.
When you turn away, they are afraid;
when you take away your breath, they die
and go back to the dust from which they came.
But when you give them breath, they are created;
you give new life to the earth.
May the glory of the Lord last forever!
May the Lord be happy with what he has made!
He looks at the earth, and it trembles;
he touches the mountains, and they pour out
smoke.
I will sing to the Lord all my life;
as long as I live I will sing praises to my God.
Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, my soul!
O Lord, my God, how great you are!
You are clothed with majesty and glory;
you cover yourself with light.
You spread out the heavens like a tent
and built your home on the waters above.
You use the clouds as your chariot
and ride on the wings of the wind.
You use the winds as your messengers
and flashes of lightning as your servants.
You make springs flow in the valleys,
and rivers run between the hills.
They provide water for the wild animals;
there the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
In the trees near by, the birds make their nests
and sing.
From the sky you send rain on the hills,
and the earth is filled with your blessings,
You make grass grow for the cattle
and plants for man to use,
so that he can grow his crops
and produce wine to make him happy,
olive oil to make him cheerful,
and bread to give him strength.
The cedars of Lebanon get plenty of rain—
the Lord’s own trees, which he planted.
There the birds build their nests;
the storks nest in the fir trees.
The wild goats live in the high mountains,
and the rock badgers hide in the cliffs.
All of them depend on you
to give them food when they need it.
You give it to them, and they eat it;
you provide food, and they are satisfied.
When you turn away, they are afraid;
when you take away your breath, they die
and go back to the dust from which they came.
But when you give them breath, they are created;
you give new life to the earth.
May the glory of the Lord last forever!
May the Lord be happy with what he has made!
He looks at the earth, and it trembles;
he touches the mountains, and they pour out
smoke.
I will sing to the Lord all my life;
as long as I live I will sing praises to my God.
Praise the Lord, my soul!
Praise the Lord!
31.3 Let Us Praise Him: With His Power We Can Perform Greatly
(Ephesians 3:20-21)
To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen.
To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen.
31.2 God Keeps Us Into Existence
(Isaiah 40:21-27)
Do you not know? Were you not told long ago?
Have you not heard how the world began?
It was made by the one who sits on his throne
above the earth and beyond the sky;
the people below look as tiny as ants.
He stretched out the sky like a curtain,
like a tent in which to live.
He brings down powerful rulers
and reduces them to nothing.
They are like young plants,
just set out and barely rooted.
When the Lord sends a wind,
they dry up and blow away like straw.
To whom can the holy God be compared?
Is there anyone else like him?
Look up at the sky! Who created the stars you see?
The one who leads them out like an army,
he knows how many there are
and calls each one by name!
His power is so great—
not one of them is ever missing!
Israel, why then do you complain
that the Lord doesn’t know your troubles
or care if you suffer injustice?
Do you not know? Were you not told long ago?
Have you not heard how the world began?
It was made by the one who sits on his throne
above the earth and beyond the sky;
the people below look as tiny as ants.
He stretched out the sky like a curtain,
like a tent in which to live.
He brings down powerful rulers
and reduces them to nothing.
They are like young plants,
just set out and barely rooted.
When the Lord sends a wind,
they dry up and blow away like straw.
To whom can the holy God be compared?
Is there anyone else like him?
Look up at the sky! Who created the stars you see?
The one who leads them out like an army,
he knows how many there are
and calls each one by name!
His power is so great—
not one of them is ever missing!
Israel, why then do you complain
that the Lord doesn’t know your troubles
or care if you suffer injustice?
31.1 God Is The Wise Creator
(Isaiah 40:12-17)
Can anyone measure the ocean by handfuls
or measure the sky with his hands?
Can anyone hold the soil of the earth in a cup
or weigh the mountains and hills on scales?
Can anyone tell the Lord what to do?
Who can teach him or give him advice?
With whom does God consult in order
to know and understand and to learn
how things should be done?
To the Lord the nations are nothing,
no more than a drop of water;
the distant islands are as light as dust.
All the animals in the forests of Lebanon
are not enough for a sacrifice to our God,
and its trees are too few to kindle the fire.
The nations are nothing at all to him.
Can anyone measure the ocean by handfuls
or measure the sky with his hands?
Can anyone hold the soil of the earth in a cup
or weigh the mountains and hills on scales?
Can anyone tell the Lord what to do?
Who can teach him or give him advice?
With whom does God consult in order
to know and understand and to learn
how things should be done?
To the Lord the nations are nothing,
no more than a drop of water;
the distant islands are as light as dust.
All the animals in the forests of Lebanon
are not enough for a sacrifice to our God,
and its trees are too few to kindle the fire.
The nations are nothing at all to him.
30.4 God Is Slow In Anger
(Psalm 86)
Listen to me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am helpless and weak.
Save me from death, because I am loyal to you;
save me, for I am your servant and I trust in you.
You are my God, so be merciful to me;
I pray to you all day long.
Make your servant glad, O Lord,
because my prayers go up to you.
You are good to us and forgiving,
full of constant love for all who pray to you.
Listen, Lord, to my prayer;
hear my cries for help.
I call to you in times of trouble,
because you answer my prayers.
There is no god like you, O Lord,
not one has done what you have done.
All the nations that you have created
will come and bow down to you;
they will praise your greatness.
You are almighty and do wonderful things;
you alone are God.
Teach me, Lord what you want me to do,
and I will obey you faithfully;
teach me to serve you with complete devotion.
I will praise you with all my heart, O lord my God;
I will proclaim your greatness forever.
How great is your constant love for me!
You have saved me from the grave itself.
Proud men are coming against me, o God;
a gang of cruel men is trying to kill me—
people who pay no attention to you.
But you, O Lord, are a merciful and loving God,
always patient, always kind and faithful.
Turn to me and have mercy on me;
strengthen me and save me,
because I serve you just as my mother did.
Show me proof of your goodness, Lord;
those who hate me will be ashamed
when they see that you have given me comfort
and help.
Listen to me, Lord, and answer me,
for I am helpless and weak.
Save me from death, because I am loyal to you;
save me, for I am your servant and I trust in you.
You are my God, so be merciful to me;
I pray to you all day long.
Make your servant glad, O Lord,
because my prayers go up to you.
You are good to us and forgiving,
full of constant love for all who pray to you.
Listen, Lord, to my prayer;
hear my cries for help.
I call to you in times of trouble,
because you answer my prayers.
There is no god like you, O Lord,
not one has done what you have done.
All the nations that you have created
will come and bow down to you;
they will praise your greatness.
You are almighty and do wonderful things;
you alone are God.
Teach me, Lord what you want me to do,
and I will obey you faithfully;
teach me to serve you with complete devotion.
I will praise you with all my heart, O lord my God;
I will proclaim your greatness forever.
How great is your constant love for me!
You have saved me from the grave itself.
Proud men are coming against me, o God;
a gang of cruel men is trying to kill me—
people who pay no attention to you.
But you, O Lord, are a merciful and loving God,
always patient, always kind and faithful.
Turn to me and have mercy on me;
strengthen me and save me,
because I serve you just as my mother did.
Show me proof of your goodness, Lord;
those who hate me will be ashamed
when they see that you have given me comfort
and help.
30.3 God Waited Patiently. Now We Can Be Saved
(1 Peter 3:18-22)
For Christ died for sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually, and in his spiritual existence he went and preached to the imprisoned spirits. These were the spirits of those who had not obeyed God when he waited patiently during the days that Noah was building his boat. The few people in the boat—eight in all—were saved by the water, which was a symbol pointing to baptism, which now saves you. It is not the washing off of bodily dirt, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. It saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone to heaven and is at the right side of God, ruling over all angels and heavenly authorities and powers.
For Christ died for sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually, and in his spiritual existence he went and preached to the imprisoned spirits. These were the spirits of those who had not obeyed God when he waited patiently during the days that Noah was building his boat. The few people in the boat—eight in all—were saved by the water, which was a symbol pointing to baptism, which now saves you. It is not the washing off of bodily dirt, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. It saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone to heaven and is at the right side of God, ruling over all angels and heavenly authorities and powers.
30.2 Vineyard Song: What More Could I Have Done?
(Isaiah 5:1-7)
Listen while I sing this song,
a song of my friend and his vineyard:
My friend had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
He dug the soil and cleared it of stones;
he planted the finest vines.
He built a tower to guard them,
dug a pit for treading the grapes.
He waited for the grapes to ripen,
but every grape was sour.
Israel is the vineyard of the Lord Almighty;
the people of Judah are the vines he planted.
He expected them to do what was good,
but instead they committed murder.
He expected them to do what was right,
but their victims cried out for justice.
Listen while I sing this song,
a song of my friend and his vineyard:
My friend had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
He dug the soil and cleared it of stones;
he planted the finest vines.
He built a tower to guard them,
dug a pit for treading the grapes.
He waited for the grapes to ripen,
but every grape was sour.
So now my friend says, “You people who live in Jerusalem and Judah, judge between my vineyard and me. Is there anything I failed to do for it? Then why did it produce sour grapes and not the good grapes I expected?
“Here is what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge around it, break down the wall that protects it, and let wild animals eat it and trample it down. I will let it be overgrown with weeds. I will not trim the vines or hoe the ground; instead, I will let briers and thorns cover it. I will even forbid the clouds to let rain fall on it.”
“Here is what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge around it, break down the wall that protects it, and let wild animals eat it and trample it down. I will let it be overgrown with weeds. I will not trim the vines or hoe the ground; instead, I will let briers and thorns cover it. I will even forbid the clouds to let rain fall on it.”
Israel is the vineyard of the Lord Almighty;
the people of Judah are the vines he planted.
He expected them to do what was good,
but instead they committed murder.
He expected them to do what was right,
but their victims cried out for justice.
30.1 I Have Sent My Prophets Untiringly
(Jeremiah 7:24-28)
But they did not obey or pay any attention. Instead, they did whatever their stubborn and evil hearts told them to do, and they became worse instead of better. From the day that your ancestors came out of Egypt I have until this very day kept on sending to you my servants, the prophets. Yet no one listened or paid any attention. Instead, you became more stubborn and rebellious than your ancestors.
“So, Jeremiah, you will speak all these words to my people, but they will not listen to you; you will call them, but they will not answer. You will tell them that their nation does not obey me, the Lord their God, or learn from their punishment. Faithfulness is dead. No longer is it even talked about.
But they did not obey or pay any attention. Instead, they did whatever their stubborn and evil hearts told them to do, and they became worse instead of better. From the day that your ancestors came out of Egypt I have until this very day kept on sending to you my servants, the prophets. Yet no one listened or paid any attention. Instead, you became more stubborn and rebellious than your ancestors.
“So, Jeremiah, you will speak all these words to my people, but they will not listen to you; you will call them, but they will not answer. You will tell them that their nation does not obey me, the Lord their God, or learn from their punishment. Faithfulness is dead. No longer is it even talked about.
29.4 The Lord Is Our Refuge
(Psalm 46)
God is our shelter and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken
and mountains fall into the ocean depths;
even if the seas roar and rage,
and the hills are shaken by the violence.
There is a river that brings joy to the city of God,
to the sacred house of the Most High.
God is in that city, and it will never be destroyed;
at early dawn he will come to its aid.
Nations are terrified, kingdoms are shaken;
God thunders, and the earth dissolves.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come and see what the Lord has done.
See what amazing things he has done on earth.
He stops wars all over the world;
he breaks bows, destroys spears,
and sets shields on fire.
“Stop fighting,” he says, “and know that I am God,
supreme among the nations,
supreme over the world.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
God is our shelter and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken
and mountains fall into the ocean depths;
even if the seas roar and rage,
and the hills are shaken by the violence.
There is a river that brings joy to the city of God,
to the sacred house of the Most High.
God is in that city, and it will never be destroyed;
at early dawn he will come to its aid.
Nations are terrified, kingdoms are shaken;
God thunders, and the earth dissolves.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come and see what the Lord has done.
See what amazing things he has done on earth.
He stops wars all over the world;
he breaks bows, destroys spears,
and sets shields on fire.
“Stop fighting,” he says, “and know that I am God,
supreme among the nations,
supreme over the world.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
29.3 The Lord Will Forgive And Restore Israel
(Jeremiah 3:11-18)
Then the Lord told me that, even though Israel had turned away from him, she had proved to be better than unfaithful Judah. He told me to go and say to Israel, “Unfaithful Israel, come back to me. I am merciful and will not be angry; I will not be angry with you forever. Only admit that you are guilty and that you have rebelled against the Lord, your God. Confess that under every green tree you have given your love to foreign gods and that you have not obeyed my commands. I, the Lord, have spoken.
“Unfaithful people, come back; you belong to me. I will take one of you from each town and two from each clan, and I will bring you back to Mount Zion. I will give you rulers who obey me, and they will rule you with wisdom and understanding. Then when you have become numerous in that land, people will no longer talk about my Covenant Box. They will no longer think about it or remember it; they will not even need it, nor will they make another one. When that time comes, Jerusalem will be called ‘The Throne of the Lord,’ and all nations will gather there to worship me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts tell them. Israel will join with Judah, and together they will come from exile in the country in the north and will return to the land that I gave your ancestors as a permanent possession.”
“Unfaithful people, come back; you belong to me. I will take one of you from each town and two from each clan, and I will bring you back to Mount Zion. I will give you rulers who obey me, and they will rule you with wisdom and understanding. Then when you have become numerous in that land, people will no longer talk about my Covenant Box. They will no longer think about it or remember it; they will not even need it, nor will they make another one. When that time comes, Jerusalem will be called ‘The Throne of the Lord,’ and all nations will gather there to worship me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts tell them. Israel will join with Judah, and together they will come from exile in the country in the north and will return to the land that I gave your ancestors as a permanent possession.”
29.2 God Forgives All Sins
(Isaiah 43:22-25)
The Lord says, “But you were tired of me, Israel;
you did not worship me.
You did not bring me your burnt offerings of sheep;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you by demanding offerings
or wear you out by asking for incense.
You didn’t buy incense for me or satisfy
me with the fat of your animals.
Instead you burdened me with your sins;
you wore me out with the wrongs you have committed.
And yet, I am the God who forgives your sins,
and I do this because of who I am.
I will not hold your sins against you.
The Lord says, “But you were tired of me, Israel;
you did not worship me.
You did not bring me your burnt offerings of sheep;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you by demanding offerings
or wear you out by asking for incense.
You didn’t buy incense for me or satisfy
me with the fat of your animals.
Instead you burdened me with your sins;
you wore me out with the wrongs you have committed.
And yet, I am the God who forgives your sins,
and I do this because of who I am.
I will not hold your sins against you.
29.1 God Will Save Even If Only 10 Are Just
(Genesis 18:20-31, 32b)
Then the Lord said to Abraham, “ There are terrible accusations against Sodom and Gomorrah, and their sin is very great. I must go down to find out whether or not the accusations which I have heard are true.”
Then the two men left and went on toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. Abraham approached the Lord and asked, “ Are you really going to destroy the innocent with the guilty? If there are fifty innocent people in the city, will you destroy the whole city? Won’t you spare it in order to save the fifty? Surely you won’t kill the innocent with the guilty. That’s impossible! You can’t do that. If you did, the innocent would be punished along with the guilty. That is impossible. The judge of all the earth has to act justly.”
The Lord answered, “If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the whole city for their sake.”
Abraham spoke again: “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. I am only a man and have no right to say anything. But perhaps there will be only forty-five innocent people instead of fifty. Will you destroy the whole city because there are five too few?”
The Lord answered, “I will not destroy the city if I find forty-five innocent people.”
Abraham spoke again: “Perhaps there will be only forty.”
He replied, “I will not destroy if there are forty.”
Abraham said, “Please don’t be angry, Lord, but I must speak again. What if there are only thirty?”
He said, “I will not do if I find thirty.”
Abraham said, “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. Suppose that only twenty are found?”
He said, “I will not destroy the city if I find twenty.”
… “What if only ten are found?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it if there are ten.”
Then the two men left and went on toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. Abraham approached the Lord and asked, “ Are you really going to destroy the innocent with the guilty? If there are fifty innocent people in the city, will you destroy the whole city? Won’t you spare it in order to save the fifty? Surely you won’t kill the innocent with the guilty. That’s impossible! You can’t do that. If you did, the innocent would be punished along with the guilty. That is impossible. The judge of all the earth has to act justly.”
The Lord answered, “If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the whole city for their sake.”
Abraham spoke again: “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. I am only a man and have no right to say anything. But perhaps there will be only forty-five innocent people instead of fifty. Will you destroy the whole city because there are five too few?”
The Lord answered, “I will not destroy the city if I find forty-five innocent people.”
Abraham spoke again: “Perhaps there will be only forty.”
He replied, “I will not destroy if there are forty.”
Abraham said, “Please don’t be angry, Lord, but I must speak again. What if there are only thirty?”
He said, “I will not do if I find thirty.”
Abraham said, “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. Suppose that only twenty are found?”
He said, “I will not destroy the city if I find twenty.”
… “What if only ten are found?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it if there are ten.”
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