JULY
3
PSALMS: 3, 33,
63, 93, 123
PROVERBS: 3
OLD TESTAMENT: ISAIAH 39:1 - 41:16
NEW TESTAMENT: EPHESIANS 1:1 - 23
PSALMS: 3
A
psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.
1
O LORD, how many are my foes!
How
many rise up against me!
2
Many are saying of me,
"God
will not deliver him."
Selah
A
3
But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you
bestow glory on me and lift B up my head.
4
To the LORD I cry aloud,
and
he answers me from his holy hill.
Selah
5
I lie down and sleep;
I
wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6
I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn
up against me on every side.
7
Arise, O LORD!
Deliver
me, O my God!
Strike
all my enemies on the jaw;
break
the teeth of the wicked.
8
From the LORD comes deliverance.
May
your blessing be on your people. Selah [1]
PSALMS: 33
1
Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it
is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2
Praise the LORD with the harp;
make
music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3
Sing to him a new song;
play
skillfully, and shout for joy.
4
For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he
is faithful in all he does.
5
The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the
earth is full of his unfailing love.
6
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their
starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7
He gathers the waters of the sea into jars A;
he
puts the deep into storehouses.
8
Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let
all the people of the world revere him.
9
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he
commanded, and it stood firm.
10
The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he
thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the
purposes of his heart through all generations.
12
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the
people he chose for his inheritance.
13
From heaven the LORD looks down
and
sees all mankind;
14
from his dwelling place he watches
all
who live on earth--
15
he who forms the hearts of all,
who
considers everything they do.
16
No king is saved by the size of his army;
no
warrior escapes by his great strength. [2]
17
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite
all its great strength it cannot save.
18
But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on
those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19
to deliver them from death
and
keep them alive in famine.
20
We wait in hope for the LORD;
he
is our help and our shield.
21
In him our hearts rejoice,
for
we trust in his holy name.
22
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even
as we put our hope in you. [3]
PSALMS: 63
A
psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1
O God, you are my God,
earnestly
I seek you;
my
soul thirsts for you,
my
body longs for you,
in
a dry and weary land
where
there is no water.
2
I have seen you in the sanctuary
and
beheld your power and your glory.
3
Because your love is better than life,
my
lips will glorify you.
4
I will praise you as long as I live,
and
in your name I will lift up my hands.
5
My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of
foods;
with
singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6
On my bed I remember you;
I
think of you through the watches of the night.
7
Because you are my help,
I
sing in the shadow of your wings.
8
My soul clings to you;
your
right hand upholds me.
9
They who seek my life will be destroyed;
they
will go down to the depths of the earth.
10
They will be given over to the sword
and
become food for jackals. [4]
11
But the king will rejoice in God;
all
who swear by God's name will praise him,
while
the mouths of liars will be silenced. [5]
PSALMS: 93
1
The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty;
the
LORD is robed in majesty
and
is armed with strength.
The
world is firmly established;
it
cannot be moved.
2
Your throne was established long ago;
you
are from all eternity.
3
The seas have lifted up, O LORD,
the
seas have lifted up their voice;
the
seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
4
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier
than the breakers of the sea--
the
LORD on high is mighty.
5
Your statutes stand firm;
holiness
adorns your house
for
endless days, O LORD. [6]
PSALMS: 123
A
song of ascents.
1
I lift up my eyes to you,
to
you whose throne is in heaven.
2
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their
master,
as
the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress,
so
our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till
he shows us his mercy.
3
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us,
for
we have endured much contempt.
4
We have endured much ridicule from the proud,
much
contempt from the arrogant. [7]
PROVERBS: 3
3
1 My son, do not forget
my teaching,
but
keep my commands in your heart,
2
for they will prolong your life many years
and
bring you prosperity.
3
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind
them around your neck,
write
them on the tablet of your heart.
4
Then you will win favor and a good name
in
the sight of God and man.
5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and
lean not on your own understanding;
6
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and
he will make your paths straight. A
7
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear
the LORD and shun evil.
8
This will bring health to your body
and
nourishment to your bones.
9
Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with
the firstfruits of all your crops;
10
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and
your vats will brim over with new wine.
11
My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
and
do not resent his rebuke,
12
because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as
a father B the son he delights in. [8]
13
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the
man who gains understanding,
14
for she is more profitable than silver
and
yields better returns than gold.
15
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing
you desire can compare with her.
16
Long life is in her right hand;
in
her left hand are riches and honor.
17
Her ways are pleasant ways,
and
all her paths are peace.
18
She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those
who lay hold of her will be blessed.
19
By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations,
by
understanding he set the heavens in place;
20
by his knowledge the deeps were divided,
and
the clouds let drop the dew.
21
My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
do
not let them out of your sight;
22
they will be life for you,
an
ornament to grace your neck.
23
Then you will go on your way in safety,
and
your foot will not stumble;
24
when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when
you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25
Have no fear of sudden disaster
or
of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26
for the LORD will be your confidence
and
will keep your foot from being snared.
27
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
when
it is in your power to act. [9]
28
Do not say to your neighbor,
"Come
back later; I'll give it tomorrow"--
when
you now have it with you.
29
Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who
lives trustfully near you.
30
Do not accuse a man for no reason--
when
he has done you no harm.
31Do
not envy a violent man
or
choose any of his ways,
32
for the LORD detests a perverse man
but
takes the upright into his confidence.
33
The LORD's curse is on the house of the wicked,
but
he blesses the home of the righteous.
34
He mocks proud mockers
but
gives grace to the humble.
35
The wise inherit honor,
but
fools he holds up to shame.
OLD
TESTAMENT: ISAIAH 39:1 - 41:16
39 1
At that time Merodach-Baladan son of Baladan king of
Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness
and recovery. 2 Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them
what was in his storehouses--the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine oil,
his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing
in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
3 Then
Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, "What did those men
say, and where did they come from?"
"From a distant
land," Hezekiah replied. "They came to me from Babylon."
4 The
prophet asked, "What did they see in your palace?"
"They saw
everything in my palace," Hezekiah said. "There is nothing among my
treasures that I did not show them."
5 Then
Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the
LORD Almighty: 6 The time will
surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have
stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left,
says the LORD. 7 And some of your
descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken
away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."
8 "The
word of the LORD you have spoken is good," Hezekiah replied. For he
thought, "There will be peace and security in my lifetime."
40 1
Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak
tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service
has been completed,
that her sin has been
paid for,
that she has received
from the LORD's hand [10]
double for all her sins.
3 A
voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way
for the LORD A;
make
straight in the wilderness
a highway
for our God. B
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every
mountain and hill made low;
the rough
ground shall become level,
the rugged
places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all
mankind together will see it.
For the
mouth of the LORD has spoken."
6 A
voice says, "Cry out."
And I said, "What
shall I cry?"
"All men are like grass,
and all
their glory is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because
the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the
people are grass.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, [11]
but the
word of our God stands forever."
9You
who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high
mountain.
You who bring good
tidings to Jerusalem, C
lift up your voice with
a shout,
lift it up, do not be
afraid;
say to the towns of
Judah,
"Here is your
God!"
10 See,
the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for
him.
See, his reward is with
him,
and his recompense
accompanies him.
11 He
tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in
his arms
and carries them close
to his heart;
he gently leads those
that have young.
12 Who
has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of
his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of
the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains
on the scales
and the hills in a
balance?
13 Who
has understood the mind D of the LORD,
or instructed him as his
counselor?
14 Whom
did the LORD consult to enlighten him, [12]
and who taught him the
right way?
Who was it that taught
him knowledge
or showed him the path
of understanding?
15 Surely
the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as
dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as
though they were fine dust.
16 Lebanon
is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough
for burnt offerings.
17 Before
him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him
as worthless
and less than nothing.
18 To
whom, then, will you compare God?
What image will you
compare him to?
19 As
for an idol, a craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays
it with gold
and fashions silver
chains for it.
20 A
man too poor to present such an offering
selects wood that will
not rot.
He looks for a skilled
craftsman
to set up an idol that
will not topple.
21 Do
you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you
from the beginning? [13]
Have you not understood
since the earth was founded?
22 He
sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like
grasshoppers.
He stretches out the
heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out
like a tent to live in.
23 He
brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers
of this world to nothing.
24 No
sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take
root in the ground,
than he blows on them
and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps
them away like chaff.
25 "To whom will you compare me?
Or who is
my equal?" says the Holy One.
26 Lift
your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the
starry host one by one,
and calls them each by
name.
Because of his great
power and mighty strength,
not one of them is
missing.
27 Why
do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden
from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded
by my God"? [14]
28 Do
you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the
everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends
of the earth.
He will not grow tired
or weary,
and his understanding no
one can fathom.
29 He
gives strength to the weary
and increases the power
of the weak.
30 Even
youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble
and fall;
31 but
those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings
like eagles;
they will run and not
grow weary,
they will walk and not
be faint.
41 1
"Be silent before me, you islands!
Let the
nations renew their strength!
Let them
come forward and speak;
let us
meet together at the place of judgment.
2 "Who has stirred up one from the east,
calling
him in righteousness to his service A?
He hands
nations over to him [15]
and
subdues kings before him.
He turns
them to dust with his sword,
to windblown
chaff with his bow.
3 He pursues them and moves on unscathed,
by a path
his feet have not traveled before.
4 Who has done this and carried it through,
calling
forth the generations from the beginning?
I, the
LORD--with the first of them
and with
the last--I am he."
5 The
islands have seen it and fear;
the ends of the earth
tremble.
They approach and come
forward;
6
each helps the other
and says to his brother,
"Be strong!"
7 The
craftsman encourages the goldsmith,
and he who smooths with
the hammer
spurs on him who strikes
the anvil.
He says of the welding,
"It is good."
He nails down the idol
so it will not topple.
8 "But you, O Israel, my servant,
Jacob,
whom I have chosen,
you
descendants of Abraham my friend, [16]
9 I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its
farthest corners I called you.
I said,
`You are my servant';
I have chosen you and
have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be
dismayed, for I am your God.
I will
strengthen you and help you;
I will
uphold you with my righteous right hand.
11 "All who rage against you
will
surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who
oppose you
will be as
nothing and perish.
12 Though you search for your enemies,
you will
not find them.
Those who
wage war against you
will be as
nothing at all.
13 For I am the LORD, your God,
who takes
hold of your right hand
and says
to you, Do not fear;
I will
help you.
14 Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob,
O little
Israel,
for I
myself will help you," declares the LORD,
your Redeemer, the Holy
One of Israel.
15 "See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, [17]
new and
sharp, with many teeth.
You will
thresh the mountains and crush them,
and reduce
the hills to chaff.
16 You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up,
and a gale
will blow them away.
But you
will rejoice in the LORD
and glory
in the Holy One of Israel. [18]
NEW TESTAMENT: EPHESIANS 1:1 - 23
1 1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus,
A the faithful B in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace
and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Praise
be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the
heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he
chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in
his sight. In love 5 he C predestined us to be adopted as
his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to
the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he
loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that
he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he D
made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which
he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will
have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth
together under one head, even Christ.
11 In
him we were also chosen, E having been predestined according to the
plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his
will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ,
might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included
in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14
who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of
those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.
15 For
this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your
love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for
you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit F
of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray
also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know
the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in
the saints,
19 and
his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working
of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised
him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title
that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head
over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness
of him who fills everything in every way. [19]
[1]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[2]
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[3]
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[4]
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[5]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[6]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[7]
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Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[8]
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Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[9]
Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[10] Excerpted from Compton's
Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia
Inc. All Rights Reserved
[11] Excerpted from Compton's
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Inc. All Rights Reserved
[12] Excerpted from Compton's
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[13] Excerpted from Compton's
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[14] Excerpted from Compton's
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[15] Excerpted from Compton's
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Inc. All Rights Reserved
[16] Excerpted from Compton's
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Inc. All Rights Reserved
[17] Excerpted from Compton's
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[18] Excerpted from Compton's
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[19] Excerpted from Compton's
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