Genesis 1:1 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
MAY
1
PSALMS:
1, 31, 61, 91, 121
PROVERBS:
1
OLD
TESTAMENT:
2 CORINTHIANS 4:1 - 7:11
NEW
TESTAMENT:
ROMANS: 7:1 - 13
PSALMS:
1
1
Blessed
is the man
who
does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or
stand in the way of sinners
or
sit in the seat of mockers.
2
But
his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and
on his law he meditates day and night.
3
He
is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which
yields its fruit in season
and
whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever
he does prospers.
4
Not
so the wicked!
They
are like chaff
that
the wind blows away.
5
Therefore
the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor
sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6
For
the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but
the way of the wicked will perish. 1
PSALMS:
31
For
the director of music. A psalm of David.
1
In
you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let
me never be put to shame;
deliver
me in your righteousness.
2
Turn
your ear to me,
come
quickly to my rescue;
be
my rock of refuge,
a
strong fortress to save me.
3
Since
you are my rock and my fortress,
for
the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4
Free
me from the trap that is set for me,
for
you are my refuge.
5
Into
your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem
me, O LORD, the God of truth.
6
I
hate those who cling to worthless idols;
I
trust in the LORD.
7
I
will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for
you saw my affliction
and
knew the anguish of my soul.
8
You
have not handed me over to the enemy
but
have set my feet in a spacious place.
9
Be
merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my
eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my
soul and my body with grief.
10
My
life is consumed by anguish
and
my years by groaning;
my
strength fails because of my affliction, A
and
my bones grow weak. 2
11
Because
of all my enemies,
I
am the utter contempt of my neighbors;
I
am a dread to my friends--
those
who see me on the street flee from me.
12
I
am forgotten by them as though I were dead;
I
have become like broken pottery.
13
For
I hear the slander of many;
there
is terror on every side;
they
conspire against me
and
plot to take my life.
14
But
I trust in you, O LORD;
I
say, "You are my God."
15
My
times are in your hands;
deliver
me from my enemies
and
from those who pursue me.
16
Let
your face shine on your servant;
save
me in your unfailing love.
17
Let
me not be put to shame, O LORD,
for
I have cried out to you;
but
let the wicked be put to shame
and
lie silent in the grave. B
18
Let
their lying lips be silenced,
for
with pride and contempt
they
speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19
How
great is your goodness,
which
you have stored up for those who fear you,
which
you bestow in the sight of men
on
those who take refuge in you.
20
In
the shelter of your presence you hide them
from
the intrigues of men;
in
your dwelling you keep them safe 3
from
accusing tongues.
21
Praise
be to the LORD,
for
he showed his wonderful love to me
when
I was in a besieged city.
22
In
my alarm I said,
"I
am cut off from your sight!"
Yet
you heard my cry for mercy
when
I called to you for help.
23
Love
the LORD, all his saints!
The
LORD preserves the faithful,
but
the proud he pays back in full.
24
Be
strong and take heart,
all
you who hope in the LORD. 4
PSALMS:
61
For
the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
1
Hear
my cry, O God;
listen
to my prayer.
2
From
the ends of the earth I call to you,
I
call as my heart grows faint;
lead
me to the rock that is higher than I.
3
For
you have been my refuge,
a
strong tower against the foe.
4
I
long to dwell in your tent forever
and
take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Selah
5
For
you have heard my vows, O God;
you
have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6
Increase
the days of the king's life,
his
years for many generations.
7
May
he be enthroned in God's presence forever;
appoint
your love and faithfulness to protect him.
8
Then
will I ever sing praise to your name
and
fulfill my vows day after day. 5
PSALMS:
91
1
He
who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will
rest in the shadow of the Almighty. A
2
I
will say B
of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my
God, in whom I trust."
3
Surely
he will save you from the fowler's snare
and
from the deadly pestilence.
4
He
will cover you with his feathers,
and
under his wings you will find refuge;
his
faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5
You
will not fear the terror of night,
nor
the arrow that flies by day,
6
nor
the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor
the plague that destroys at midday.
7
A
thousand may fall at your side,
ten
thousand at your right hand,
but
it will not come near you.
8
You
will only observe with your eyes
and
see the punishment of the wicked.
9
If
you make the Most High your dwelling--
even
the LORD, who is my refuge--
10
then
no harm will befall you,
no
disaster will come near your tent.
11
For
he will command his angels concerning you
to
guard you in all your ways;
12
they
will lift you up in their hands,
so
that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13
You
will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you
will trample the great lion and the serpent. 6
14
"Because
he loves me,"
says the LORD, "I
will rescue him;
I
will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15
He
will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I
will be with him in trouble,
I
will deliver him and honor him.
16
With long life will I satisfy him
and
show him my salvation."
7
PSALMS:
121
A
song of ascents.
1
I
lift up my eyes to the hills--
where
does my help come from?
2
My
help comes from the LORD,
the
Maker of heaven and earth.
3
He
will not let your foot slip--
he
who watches over you will not slumber;
4
indeed,
he who watches over Israel
will
neither slumber nor sleep.
5
The
LORD watches over you--
the
LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6
the
sun will not harm you by day,
nor
the moon by night.
7
The
LORD will keep you from all harm--
he
will watch over your life;
8
the
LORD will watch over your coming and going
both
now and forevermore. 8
PROVERBS:
1
1
1
The
proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2
for
attaining wisdom and discipline;
for
understanding words of insight;
3
for
acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing
what is right and just and fair;
4
for
giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge
and discretion to the young--
5
let
the wise listen and add to their learning,
and
let the discerning get guidance--
6
for
understanding proverbs and parables,
the
sayings and riddles of the wise.
7
The
fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but
foolsA
despise wisdom and discipline.
8
Listen,
my son, to your father's instruction
and
do not forsake your mother's teaching.
9
They
will be a garland to grace your head
and
a chain to adorn your neck.
10
My
son, if sinners entice you,
do
not give in to them.
11
If
they say, "Come along with us;
let's
lie in wait for someone's blood,
let's
waylay some harmless soul;
and
whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13
we
will get all sorts of valuable things
and
fill our houses with plunder;
14
throw
in your lot with us,
and
we will share a common purse"--
15
my
son, do not go along with them,
do
not set foot on their paths;
16
for
their feet rush into sin,
they
are swift to shed blood.
17
How
useless to spread a net
in
full view of all the birds!
18
These
men lie in wait for their own blood;
they
waylay only themselves!
19
Such
is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it
takes away the lives of those who get it.
20
Wisdom
calls aloud in the street,
she
raises her voice in the public squares;
21
at
the head of the noisy streets C
she cries out,
in
the gateways of the city she makes her speech:
22
"How
long will you simple ones D
love your simple ways?
How
long will mockers delight in mockery
and
fools hate knowledge?
23
If
you had responded to my rebuke,
I
would have poured out my heart to you
and
made my thoughts known to you.
24
But
since you rejected me when I called
and
no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
2
5since
you ignored all my advice
and
would not accept my rebuke,
26
I
in turn will laugh at your disaster; 10
I
will mock when calamity overtakes you--
27
when
calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when
disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when
distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28
"Then
they will call to me but I will not answer;
they
will look for me but will not find me.
29
Since they hated knowledge
and
did not choose to fear the LORD,
30
since they would not accept my advice
and
spurned my rebuke,
31
they will eat the fruit of their ways
and
be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32
For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and
the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33
but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and
be at ease, without fear of harm."
11
4
1
Therefore,
since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose
heart.
2
Rather,
we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception,
nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth
the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in
the sight of God. 3
And
even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are
perishing. 4
The
god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they
cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the
image of God. 5
For
we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves
as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6
For
God, who said, "Let
light shine out of darkness,"
A
made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
7
But
we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this
all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8
We
are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not
in despair; 9
persecuted,
but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
10
We
always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life
of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11
For
we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus'
sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12
So
then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
13
It
is written: "I
believed; therefore I have spoken." B
With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak,
14
because
we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will 12
also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15
All
this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and
more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
16
Therefore
we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet
inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17
For
our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal
glory that far outweighs them all. 18
So
we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what
is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
5
1
Now
we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a
building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human
hands. 2
Meanwhile
we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3
because
when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4
For
while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do
not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly
dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5
Now
it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the
Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
6
Therefore
we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in
the body we are away from the Lord. 7
We
live by 13
faith, not by sight. 8
We
are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and
at home with the Lord. 9
So
we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body
or away from it.
10
For
we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one
may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body,
whether good or bad.
11
Since,
then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.
What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your
conscience. 12
We
are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you
an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who
take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13
If
we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our
right mind, it is for you. 14
For
Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for
all, and therefore all died. 15
And
he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for
themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16
So
from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we
once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17
Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the
new has come! 18
All
this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and
gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
19
that
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting
men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of
reconciliation. 20
We
are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his
appeal through us. 14
We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21
God
made him who had no sin to be sin A
for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
6
1
As
God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.
2
For
he says,
"In
the time of my favor I heard you,
and
in the day of salvation I helped you."
A
I
tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of
salvation.
3
We
put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will
not be discredited.
4
Rather,
as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great
endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5
in
beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and
hunger; 6
in
purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and
in sincere love; 7
in
truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of
righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8
through
glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded
as impostors;
9
known,
yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet
not killed;
10
sorrowful,
yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and
yet possessing everything. 15
11
Since,
then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.
What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your
conscience 16.
NEW
TESTAMENT:
ROMANS: 7:1 - 13
7
1
Do
you not know, brothers--for I am speaking to men who know the
law--that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?
2
For
example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he
is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of
marriage. 3
So
then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive,
she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released
from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries
another man.
4
So,
my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ,
that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the
dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.
5
For
when we were controlled by the sinful nature, A
the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so
that we bore fruit for death. 6
But
now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the
law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old
way of the written code.
7
What
shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not
have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have
known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do
not covet."
B
8
But
sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in
me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9
Once
I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang
to life and I died. 10
I
found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life
actually brought death. 11
For
sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by 17
the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to
death. 12
So
then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and
good.
13
Did
that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in
order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me
through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might
become utterly sinful. 18
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John 3:16-21 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, F that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.G 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." H
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